Kylian Mbappé's Journey to Real Madrid: A Decade in the Making

Kylian Mbappé says his move to Real Madrid was a decade in the making – and guided quietly, patiently, by Florentino Pérez.

In a revealing interview with AS, the French star lifted the lid on the long courtship that ended with him finally walking through the doors of the Santiago Bernabéu this summer.

“We stayed in touch for ten years”

Mbappé did not dress it up. Pérez was central.

"He's the one who brought me here. We've stayed in touch for ten years before I arrived," he said. "He always showed affection and understanding in the context of every decision made, both positive and negative for Real Madrid. He always told me that one day I would play for Real Madrid, and here I am, and very happy."

That decade-long relationship, often whispered about, is now confirmed in Mbappé’s own words. On social media, his line was distilled into a simple, striking quote: "I was in contact with Perez since 10 years before joining Real Madrid."

Pérez kept the door open. Mbappé kept the dream alive.

Destiny, not persuasion

For all of Pérez’s influence, Mbappé was adamant: Real Madrid sell themselves.

"To be honest, nothing and no one has to convince you to come to Real Madrid," the World Cup winner insisted.

He spoke like someone who had lived the saga from the inside – the failed attempts, the blocked moves, the years of speculation.

"In my history with Madrid, I wanted to come, but it wasn't possible, and ultimately, in football, there are moments and decisions that are beyond your control. In football, timing is key, and you have to wait for everything to be right before you can go."

The disappointments were real. The pull of Madrid, he suggested, never weakened.

"Of course, there's disappointment, but a footballer's life is about looking forward, not back," he said.

So when the moment finally arrived, there was no need for a grand sales pitch, not even from the most powerful figure in Spanish football.

"No one had to convince me to come to Real Madrid, not even Perez, as big a club as he is. It was obvious."

Then came the line that sums up his thinking – and the weight he gives to the white shirt.

"If you want to be part of football history, one day you have to play for Real Madrid."

A new life, a higher level

Now the posters from his childhood bedroom have been replaced by the reality of Valdebebas and life in the Spanish capital. Mbappé describes a smoother transition than some might expect, but also a step into a different dimension.

"I expected the best club in the world, to receive a lot of excitement from Madridistas all over the world," he said.

He arrived as a global superstar. Madrid, he feels, has still taken him up a notch.

"When I arrived here I already had a status, but when you are a Real Madrid player you move to another level, to a higher level. I think that if you want to belong to the history of football, you have to go through Real Madrid."

For Mbappé, this is no longer a distant promise from a president or a dream pinned to a bedroom wall. It is the stage he always believed he would reach – and the one on which he now intends to write his chapter of football history.