Real Madrid's greatest No. 10s as Kylian Mbappé takes jersey
Baku, July 30, AZERTAC
While it had long been suspected that a switch of squad number was imminent, Real Madrid have confirmed that star striker Kylian Mbappé will be pulling on the club's revered No. 10 shirt for the 2025-26 season, ESPN reported.
After sources told ESPN on July 22 that the 26-year-old France international would be switching from the No. 9 he wore in his debut campaign at the Bernabéu, the man himself effectively confirmed the news the following day with a succinct post on X which simply read "10."
Mbappé was the club's top goal scorer in all competitions with 44 goals in 59 games last season wearing the equally iconic No. 9, with that haul earning him the first European Golden Shoe of his career. However, the striker has worn the No. 10 shirt with Les Bleus for many years, although he wore the No. 7 at former club Paris Saint-Germain as first Neymar and then Ousmane Dembélé occupied le numéro dix.
He will therefore take up the shirt which has been vacated by Luka Modric after the playmaker ended his long and wildly successful 13-year run at Madrid for a transfer to AC Milan earlier this month.
Of course, the No. 10 shirt carries with it a deep and historic significance at Real Madrid, with some of the club's biggest and most legendary names having worn it. So stacked is the roster of former that there isn't even room in this rundown of the 10 most iconic No. 10s for the likes of Günter Netzer, Manuel Velázquez, Wesley Sneijder and James Rodríguez, who will all have to make do with these most sincerest of honorable mentions.
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