Kylian Mbappé is living up to the number 10 jersey. The Frenchman is back, although he was never really far away. The center forward put on a show in the 4-0 victory over WSG Tirol in Real Madrid’s first and only ‘official’ preseason match. A brace and an assist to send a warning to Osasuna and the rest of Europe in general. Not bad. Kylian has got all Madrid fans excited. He is more refined, faster, and more accurate. This is the Mbappé of 2022.
His performance in Innsbruck was superb. His two goals were two strokes of genius. The first came in the 13th minute. After a magnificent through ball into the box by Arda Güler, the striker received the ball with his back to goal, turned and finished. A goal from a killer, only suitable for executioners. The second was another masterclass. After Aurélien Tchouaméni conjured up another through ball between the Austrian defense, Kylian found himself one-on-one with Alexander Eckmayr. He didn’t flinch. He dribbled past him and slotted it home. And to top it off, he assisted Rodrygo for the final goal.
Kylian Mbappe vs WSG Tirol
First game as 🔟 pic.twitter.com/PgQeBsIljL
— 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙭𝙨 (@annxsprods) August 12, 2025
Kylian Mbappé is “in great shape”
A performance reminiscent of the old Kylian Mbappé. The one from the 2021-22 season. In recent weeks, Madrid fans have been excited by his form, as shown in the photos published by Real Madrid. During his vacation, the French international has gotten in great shape. He seems to have lost some weight. In his case, that’s a good thing. He’s faster and more agile. In short, he’s back to his old self. Although he was never far away. He’s been sending out signals since his hat-trick against Barcelona at Montjuïc. “I’m here.” His acute gastroenteritis at the Club World Cup brought him to a screeching halt. It was a shame, because the Frenchman wanted to lead the Merengues to the title. It wasn’t to be.
⚡ @KMbappe ⚡ pic.twitter.com/TiSLwCXFnh
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 7, 2025
A highly criticized first year, but the numbers speak for themselves
Collectively, his first year at Real Madrid will be forgotten. He only won the European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. But individually, watch out. In his debut with the white shirt, the French striker shone with his own light. Kyky was unstoppable. He broke Iván Zamorano’s historic record, who in his first season with the Merengues had scored 37 goals in 45 games.
The Frenchman ended the season with 44 goals in 59 games, exceeding all expectations. In La Liga, he scored 31 goals in 34 games, which earned him the undisputed title of Pichichi. He also won his first Golden Boot, overtaking Viktor Gyökeres. Another noteworthy fact is that the former Paris Saint-Germain player scored in every competition he played in: the European Super Cup, LaLiga, the Champions League, the Intercontinental Cup, the Spanish Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, and the Club World Cup. Even so, Mbappé has been in the eye of the storm throughout the season. Perhaps more was expected of his connection with Vinicius or his contribution to the collective performance of the Whites.
Heir to the ‘10’
Now, Kylian Mbappé is entering a new dimension. Another era. That of Xabi Alonso and the ‘10’. After the departure of Luka Modric, Real Madrid decided to hand over its legendary shirt number to the cornerstone of its project. A logical decision. And the Frenchman is following in the footsteps of his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo. In his first year, the Portuguese wore the number 9. When Raúl González Blanco, the Real Madrid legend at the time, left, he inherited the number 7. The same thing happened with Kylian and Luka. And the message is clear: he has to write history at Chamartín.
Mbappé is fully aware of this. He can handle the pressure and has everyone’s support. Xabi Alonso sees him as his talisman. The Frenchman will be the Tolosa native’s offensive reference point for the next few years. There’s no question about it. In addition, the number 10 will be in charge of taking penalties. Kylian may not be the captain, but he is the leader.