Kylian Mbappe was at the centre of a Real Madrid love-in on Tuesday, July 16, when a packed Santiago Bernabeu crowd welcomed its latest hero for his on-field presentation.
Mbappe's long-mooted switch to the Spanish capital was completed after his contract at Paris Saint-Germain expired last month and expectations are clearly sky high for Florentino Perez's latest Galactico.
With his first Madrid photocall in the bag, attention now turns to when the 25-year-old will first wear the jersey of his dream club in match action.
Carlo Ancelotti's Spanish and European champions will soon embark on a preseason tour of the United States but fans will have to wait to see Mbappe take to the field.
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Will Kylian Mbappe play on Real Madrid's United States tour?
As per The Athletic, Mbappe will not be part of the travelling party when Madrid depart on July 28 for matches against AC Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea.
At his presentation press conference, Mbappe was asked whether he would take part in friendly matches and replied: "If the club wants me to go, I will go."
But it seems they don't — and with good sporting reasons.
Mbappe played as part of the France squad that bowed out of Euro 2024 at the semifinal stage with a defeat to Spain on July 9. It would be unusual to return to action so soon and it is standard practice for clubs to allow their players three to four weeks off to recuperate after taking part in summer tournaments.
Fellow France players Ferland Mendy, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga are also likely to be exempt from the Madrid tour, along with victorious Spain star Dani Carvajal, and England midfielder Jude Bellingham.
Mbappe also suffered a broken nose during the tournament, so additional time to recover would likely be even more important.
When is Kylian Mbappe's first Real Madrid game?
The Athletic reports Mbappe will return to training on August 7 alongside his new teammates at Madrid's Valdebebas training base.
Provided his recovery from a broken nose continues to progress without any setbacks, Mbappe's likely Madrid debut will be in the UEFA Super Cup showdown with Atalanta in Warsaw, Poland on Wednesday, August 14.
Los Blancos begin their La Liga title defence with a trip to Real Mallorca four days later.
Real Madrid preseason schedule
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Kickoff time (ET, USA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31 | AC Milan | Soldier Field, Chicago | 8:30 p.m. |
| Aug 3 | Barcelona | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey | 7:00 p.m. |
| Aug 6 | Chelsea | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte | 7:00 p.m. |