Kylian Mbappé Joins Real Madrid

Real Madrid announced Monday that it had secured a deal with the French star Kylian Mabappe for the next five seasons, uniting one of soccer’s top talents with its most successful club.

This announcement comes after years of flirtation between Madrid and the player, who has inherited Lionel Messi’s status as the best in the game.

The 25-year-old World Cup winner with France joins a Madrid team already brimming with talent and still celebrating its latest European triumph.

Two days ago, Madrid won a record-extending 15th European Cup title by beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League final in London.

Until now, Mbappé has played club soccer only for French teams — first at Monaco and for the past seven seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, which he left as a free agent after the club failed to persuade him to renew his contract.

In 2021, Madrid was rejected after offering PSG a bid of 180 million euros — the same amount PSG paid Monaco for a teenage Mbappé years earlier.