Kylian Mbappe is set to receive the number 10 jersey at Real Madrid, ahead of the start of the new season. He confirmed it himself in the last week. The Frenchman previously wore the number 9 shirt in his first season but will now be receiving a new number, which is the same number he wears for France.
There are few numbers in the world of football as iconic as the number 10. The jersey number has been worn by countless legends of the game and comes with incredible expectations.
When it comes to the number 10 at Real Madrid, it has somewhat of a mixed legacy, being worn by legends but also forgotten players.
Let's take a look at the legacy of the number 10 shirt at Real Madrid from the last century, and what expectations Kylian Mbappe will have on him now.
Luis Figo
We start with the legend himself Luis Figo. After controversially joining from Barcelona the Portuguese icon wore the number 10 during his entire time at the club from 1999-2005 and had quite a career with Los Blancos.
Figo only scored 38 goals in his time at the club but he took home two La Liga titles and a Champions League title, and is an icon for early 2000s Real Madrid fans.
Robinho
Next we have Robinho. The Brazilian wore the number 10 from 2005-2008 and had a somewhat up and down time at Real Madrid.
While he was the third highest goal scorer and provided the second most assists in his time at the club, he also saw long stints on the bench and dealt with injuries that somewhat derailed his Real Madrid career.
Wesley Sneijder
Following Robinho was a one year stint for Wesley Sneijder with the number 10 shirt in the 2008/09 season.
The Dutchman originally wore number 23 but was given the 10 shirt after Robinho's departure. Much like the Brazilian, Sneijder had somewhat of an up-and-down time at Los Blancos.
Scoring only 11 goals in 52 appearances and struggling with injuries, he departed the club in 2009 for Inter Milan where he had much success.
Lassana Diarra
Next we have a bit of a random one, with the number 10 shirt belonging to Lassana Diarra from 2009-2011.
The journeyman spent three seasons with the club, wearing the number 10 for two of them. A starter under Jose Mourinho in the 2010/11 season, Lass eventually lost his place in the team to Sami Khedira.
Mesut Ozil
Next we have Mesut Ozil, the definition of a "streets won't forget" player. The German was the top assist provider across all of Europe in his first season with the club, and was given the number 10 shirt in his second season, signalling that he was a bona fide starter for Jose Mourinho.
Ozil was the top assist provider in La Liga for three straight seasons before departing for Arsenal in the summer of 2013. Ozil is a player many have fond memories of from the early 2010s and is considered an under-the-radar legend by some.
James Rodriguez
After Ozil's departure, the number 10 was vacant for one year before James Rodriguez was given the number upon his arrival in 2014.
The Colombian arrived for what was at the time the fourth-highest fee in football history and had extremely high expectations after his 2014 World Cup.
However, he struggled to meet those expectations and was loaned out to Bayern Munich in 2017 and his number 10 went to the last player to wear it before Mbappe.
Luka Modric
And finally we have Luka Modric. The legend wore the number from 2017 until his departure this summer and was the living embodiment of what you want from your number 10. His consistency, class, and longevity defined his time with Los Blancos and established him as a legend with the club.