WATCH: Kylian Mbappe gifts tennis legend Rafael Nadal his debut shirt
Kylian Mbappe’s first La Liga game just got over. But, it was something that happened after the game that caught everyone’s attention. Post-match, the French star handed over his La Liga debut jersey to one of the guests, and it was none other than the tennis legend Rafael Nadal.
Defending champions Real Madrid didn’t have an ideal start to their La Liga 2024-25 campaign. The Spanish side were forced to share spoils with hosts Mallorca. The game witnessed their long-term target, Kylian Mbappe, who joined them in the ongoing summer transfer window marking his Spanish league debut. Though this was not an ideal start, Mbappe’s heartwarming gesture with one of his highly admired athletes gained the spotlight.
In this 1-1 draw, many famous VIPs were guests. To name a few would be Argentina’s World Cup winning men’s national team head coach Lionel Scaloni and one of the greatest Tennis legends Rafael Nadal. After the end of the game, a rare moment was caught on camera when two global sports icons Mbappe and Nadal met. Mbappe even gifted Nadal the jersey he wore on his Real Madrid La Liga debut.
It must be noted that Kylian Mbappe has previously mentioned his admiration for the tennis star too. During the 2017 French Open, the French star revealed that Nadal “fascinates him”. He also expressed his wish to meet Nadal someday. And guess what, his wish got fulfilled and got even more.
However, this was not the first time Mbappe met Nadal. He met both the tennis legends Nadal & Roger Federer at the 2021 Roland Garros. Mbappe also admitted that he watches basketball and tennis “regularly”. Nadal too has a liking for Mbappe, he expressed his desire for Mbappe to sign for Real Madrid in the past. Even his wish was fulfilled during this transfer window.