Kylian Mbappe made a kind gesture in the immediate aftermath of his La Liga debut as he gave his Real Madrid jersey to another sporting legend.
On Sunday, Mbappe and Real Madrid settled for a 1-1 draw with RCD Mallorca in his first Spanish league match. After scoring in Los Blancos’ 2-0 win over Atalanta BC in the UEFA Super Cup four days prior, the French phenom failed to find the back of the net at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix.
Though the finish was not the end result that many Madrid fans had hoped to see, the stands were nonetheless packed with big names eager to watch Mbappe in his early days with the Spanish juggernaut. Among those in attendance were Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni, as well as tennis legend and Mallorca native Rafael Nadal .
Following the match, Mbappe and Nadal met up to exchange brief pleasantries - as well as a high-priced piece of memorabilia. Video posted to social media showed the former reach into his bag and gift the latter his game-worn Real Madrid jersey.
Fans online swiftly shared their thoughts on the behind-the-scenes moment between the famous duo. “Both are among the greatests of the game,” one X user wrote, with another adding: “He knows who the goat is.”
Over the years, Mbappe and Nadal have routinely sung one another’s praises while they’ve each dominated their respective sports. During the 2017 French Open, Mbappe expressed a desire to someday meet Nadal, who he described as his favorite tennis player.
“It’s Nadal who really fascinates me,” he told France TV. “I didn’t have the opportunity [to meet him], but I would like to.
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“Rafael Nadal is my favorite because he’s incredible on clay. And I’m backing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga too - though I’m biased, because I’ve got a soft spot for him!”
It didn’t take long for Mbappe’s wish to come true. Speaking to Paris Match magazine in 2021, the then-Paris Saint-Germain star revealed that he crossed paths with Nadal and fellow tennis icon Roger Federer at Roland Garros.
"I watch basketball and tennis a lot," Mbappe said. "At Roland Garros, where I love to go, I had the opportunity to chat with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal. I admire these champions who have been able to stay on top for many years. It’s not for everyone to have such consistency."
More recently, Nadal issued a public plea for Real Madrid to bring Mbappe to Santiago Bernabeu. “I would sign Kylian Mbappe for Real Madrid,” he told Cadena COPE back in February. “Real Madrid have a super team, beyond the disaster of injuries this year. With Mbappe they would be even better, if I could contribute to the club in any way I would.”
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