A Dream Fulfilled: Mbappé’s Journey to the Bernabéu
The boy with Cristiano Ronaldo posters adorning his Paris bedroom, the young dreamer who wore Real Madrid’s training kit as a second skin, is all grown up. That boy, Kylian Mbappé, is about to live out a fairytale.
Fast forward to 2012. A mere 13 years old, a world away from the global superstar he would become, Mbappé embarked on a pilgrimage with his family to the hallowed grounds of Real Madrid’s training complex, Valdebebas. It was more than a visit; it was a dream taking flight.
Zinedine Zidane, the iconic figure, the man who would later become a pivotal part of Mbappé’s story, extended the personal invitation. “Zizou invited me on his own car to go and visit the famous Valdebebas,” Mbappé recalled, the wonder still evident in his voice. “It was like a dream to me… just thinking: so maybe I’m still dreaming on the plane?”
The trip was not about securing a place in the Real Madrid academy, but about nurturing a young boy’s passion. “We just wanted our son to visit Real and be happy, not to convince Real to sign him,” his mother, Fayza Lamari, confessed.
Today, the dream takes center stage. The Santiago Bernabéu, a cathedral of football, will echo with the name of the boy from Bondy. 85,000 fervent fans will be there, their hearts pounding in unison with the rhythm of anticipation.
578 days since the whispers of a potential move first ignited the football world, the impossible dream is on the cusp of reality. Kylian Mbappé, the boy who once gazed in awe at Ronaldo’s posters, is ready to write his own chapter in the Real Madrid story.
The circle is complete. From the wide-eyed visitor to the stadium’s conquering hero, Mbappé’s journey is a testament to the power of dreams and the unwavering pursuit of passion.
