Mbappé handed iconic Real Madrid No.10 jersey

Kylian Mbappé will wear Real Madrid’s iconic number 10 jersey following Luka Modrić’s departure to AC Milan, the LaLiga club has confirmed.

The number, previously worn by legends such as Ferenc Puskás, Clarence Seedorf, and Luís Figo, became available after Modrić ended his 12-year spell at the Bernabéu. 

Although Madrid typically reserves prestigious numbers for long-serving players, club officials made an exception for Mbappé, citing his global star power and symbolic significance.

Club insiders called the move “a special number for a very special player,” emphasizing both Mbappé’s footballing brilliance and commercial appeal.

The number 10 holds deep personal meaning for the 26-year-old French forward. He wears it for the national team and famously featured it in a scene from his autobiographical comic book, in which a young Mbappé unwraps a Real Madrid shirt bearing the number.

After arriving from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, Mbappé wore the number 9 jersey in his debut season, during which he scored 44 goals across all competitions, though he ended the 2024–25 campaign without a major trophy.

Other notable players to have worn Real Madrid’s No. 10 shirt include Gheorghe Hagi, Michael Laudrup, Robinho and Mesut Özil.