“In my team, the numbers go from one to 11,” Real Madrid president Florentino Perez told Zinedine Zidane after he signed for the Spanish behemoths in 2001. “There are no 35 or 40 on the jerseys!”
Zidane was happy to accept the lowest available number, making five such an iconic figure in Madrid’s history that Jude Bellingham rang up Jesus Vallejo to ask for the digit when he moved to Spain’s capital two decades later.
Kylian Mbappe, the heir to Zidane’s throne at the summit of French football, is poised to begin his own negotiations for squad numbers after finally agreeing a long-awaited deal with Madrid.
Here are the options available to Mbappe. Although, Perez – as ever – will have the final say.
Kylian Mbappe shirt number history
Kylian Mbappe wears the number ten for France / BSR Agency/GettyImages
When Mbappe made his professional debut as a scrawny 16-year-old in December 2015 – breaking Thierry Henry’s record as Monaco’s youngest-ever player – he replaced former Real Madrid full-back Fabio Coentrao while drowning in a billowing shirt with 33 on the back.
Mbappe made his first European appearance later that month in a 4-1 Europa League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur wearing 39. The teenager was limited to just two league starts in his debut campaign but announced himself to the rest of Europe during the 2016/17 season.
Promoted to number 29, Mbappe directly contributed to 31 goals as Monaco won Ligue 1 and charged to the Champions League semi-finals. The precocious 18-year-old kept that squad number when he moved to PSG in the summer of 2017 before becoming the team’s 7 in his second season once Lucas Moura had joined Spurs.
The Coupe de France – the nation’s primary cup competition – demands every starter to wear one to 11 regardless of their existing squad numbers. Perez would approve. While adhering to this tradition, Mbappe has donned the numbers 9 and 11.
At international level, Mbappe made his debut for the senior French side in the number 12 shirt that Henry wore for Les Bleus with such distinction. Mbappe has also turned out in the number 20 but went to the 2018 World Cup as the team’s 10. The jet-heeled forward has filled Zidane’s shirt admirably in the subsequent years and became France’s captain after leading his nation to a second successive World Cup final in 2022.
Real Madrid available shirt numbers
Luka Modric’s number ten shirt could be available this summer / Fran Santiago/GettyImages
Sticking strictly to Perez’s principles, Real Madrid’s first 11 squad numbers are already occupied.
The lowest digit currently available to Mbappe would be 16. Previous Madrid forwards such as Jorge Valdano and Emilio Butragueno have (briefly) worn that shirt in the past but it would be an odd fit for Mbappe – especially as 16 is the number worn by all second-choice goalkeepers in his native France.
Alternatively, Mbappe could inherit the number of an outgoing player. Vinicius Junior assumed possession of Madrid’s sacred seven shirt last summer and surely won’t be asked to give up the digit upon Mbappe’s arrival. Instead, PSG’s all-time top scorer may take on Luka Modric’s number 10 if the 38-year-old does leave the club when his contract expires in June.
Carlo Ancelotti has discussed Modric’s future with the player but has been unwilling to divulge any details to the press. Modric’s lack of game time hints at his potential departure but the enduring influence of Toni Kroos suggests that his number 8 will not be available.
