Kylian Mbappe will inherit his French compatriot Karim Benzema’s number 9 shirt in Real Madrid, Diario AS reports. This means that the number 9 in Real Madrid has belonged to the French players consecutively.
Kylian Mbappe could not partner with Karim Benzema at Real Madrid
Benzema, as predecessor of the number, once voiced his thoughts about Mbappe playing for Los Blancos. Both have played together for the national team, but the dream of them playing together in white outfits never happened. Benzema moved to the Saudis’ side Al-Ittihad last summer.
“I enjoy playing with him in the national team and in the future, why not? He’s a great player, but you have to respect PSG,” he said in comments carried by Marca. “I’ve always said it and I’ll say it again; I hope we play together some day.”
During the history of Madrid, the number 9 has been worn by special talents throughout the years. Before Benzema came, the number belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo when he first came to Madrid. CR7 had to wait for his iconic number 7 to be vacated until Raul Gonzales left the club.
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Kylian Mbappe inherits the iconic shirt number
Before Cristiano, there was Javier Saviola who surprisingly took a brave move crossing from Barcelona to the capital side. The Argentinian played 31 matches for Los Blancos, scoring five in the process.
Roberto Soldado wore the number 9 during the 2007/08 season. He inherited the number from Ronaldo Nazario who moved to AC Milan back then. Mbappe would be the sixth player in the 21st century to wear the number.
Mbappe has been rumoured to join Real Madrid next season despite the announcement is yet to be published officially. Both parties are believed to focus on their respective agenda for the rest of the season, including winning the Champions League.
Both Real Madrid and Mbappe’s PSG have secured a quarterfinal spot after surpassing their own opponents. The draw will be held on 15 March 2024 to determine the contestants.