39-year-old striker Cristiano Ronaldo commented that he is excited to see Kylian Mbappe light up the Bernabeu at Real Madrid.

On June 3, Mbappe posted four photos on Instagram of him visiting Real Madrid’s headquarters in 2012, including one with Ronaldo at the time. The French captain wrote: “A dream come true. I am very happy and proud to have joined Real Madrid. No one understands how excited I am. Thank you for the support of Real fans, looking forward to seeing you soon. Hala Madrid”.

Ronaldo, under the account name Cristiano, commented on Mbappe’s Instagram post , with a photo of the two players in Madrid, Spain in 2012. 

More than two hours after posting, Mbappe received a comment from Ronaldo. “It’s my turn to watch you,” the Al Nassr captain wrote, with an eye emoji. “I’m excited to watch you light up the Bernabeu. Hala Madrid.”

Ronaldo is Real’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 450 goals in 438 games, and he was also Mbappe’s idol at one time. After years of expressing his desire to play for Real, Mbappe left as a free agent from PSG in the summer of 2024, accepting a 93% pay cut to join the Bernabeu. Ronaldo left Real in the summer of 2018, playing for Juventus, Man Utd and now Al Nassr.

Not only Ronaldo , many other figures at Real also welcomed Mbappe to join the current Champions League and La Liga champions. Former goalkeeper Iker Casillas wrote on social network X : “Welcome Mbappe to the best club in the world. It’s never too late, if we are happy. With you, the journey to conquer the 16th Champions League title has begun.”

Striker Rodrygo commented with a heart, with the message: “Welcome Mbappe”. Midfielder Jude Bellingham posted a photo of four players, including Mbappe, Vinicius, Rodrygo and himself, with a frowning emoji. Vinicius also thanked scouting director Juni Calafat, who has negotiated and convinced many players to join Real over the years.

Mbappe won the 2018 World Cup and was named in the tournament’s best team. He shined even more at the 2022 World Cup, winning the Golden Boot, although France lost to Argentina in the final penalty shootout. Mbappe is widely considered the best player after Lionel Messi and Ronaldo, but has never won the Champions League.