When he was just 10 years old, a young boy received a miniature model of the 2008 Santiago Bernabeu stadium from his family as a birthday present. He confidently declared that he would eventually take his family to the VIP section of the Bernabeu as a Real Madrid player. Fifteen years later, that boy turned his youthful pledge into reality, bringing the gifted model with him to his first press conference after joining Real Madrid

“You can’t use money to buy a dream like this,” said Kylian Mbappé.

From an interview conducted on the day of Kylian Mbappé’s Real Madrid debut:

When I was eight years old, my family got me a tiny model of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. I would come back to Real Madrid, I swear. And now that I have kept my word, I am here.

“I am really thrilled and proud to be a Real Madrid player. This is a landmark day in my life and career. Although I anticipated a wonderful day, it has beyond my expectations.