Real Madrid has a new 'number 10'.

According to ESPN, Kylian Mbappe will switch to wearing the number 10 shirt at Real Madrid from the 2025/26 season, instead of the number 9 he wore in his first season in La Liga.

Mbappe, not Guler, inherited the number 10 shirt from Modric.

Luka Modric left the Bernabeu to join AC Milan, ending his legendary 13-year journey at Real Madrid, meaning the number 10 shirt was left vacant. Having previously worn the number 10 for the French national team, Mbappe waited for the right moment to reclaim his favorite number.

According to internal sources, Mbappe was willing to continue wearing the number 9 shirt if Modric decided to extend his contract for another season. However, with the departure of the Croatian midfielder, changing the number has now become a reality.

In his first season playing in Spain, Mbappe had an impressive individual performance. He scored 44 goals in all competitions, surpassing even Cristiano Ronaldo's 33 goals in his Real Madrid debut season.

The former PSG star also scored to help Real win the European Super Cup (2-0 against Atalanta) and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup (3-0 against Pachuca), but failed to score in the two defeats against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup finals.

Nevertheless, Mbappe still received considerable criticism when Real Madrid failed to win any major trophies, finished behind Barcelona in La Liga, and were eliminated in the Champions League quarter-finals by Arsenal.

At the 2025 Club World Cup in the US, Mbappe missed the group stage due to acute gastritis. He returned for the knockout rounds, but couldn't save Real Madrid from a heavy 0-4 defeat against his former club PSG in the semi-finals.

"Now, wearing the iconic number 10 shirt, Mbappe will enter the new season with greater pressure and a clearer mission: to help Real Madrid win worthy titles," ESPN wrote.

Source: https://znews.vn/real-madrid-co-so-10-moi-post1570930.html