Real Make Another Champions League Final; Mbappe Finally to Madrid?

The announcement that many fans with Real Madrid tickets have been waiting for four long seasons is here; Kylian Mbappe is leaving PSG and is expected to join Real Madrid. 

The announcement brings Real Madrid closer to ending their yearslong pursuit of the France international, widely regarded as one of the best players in world football.

PSG’s game against Toulouse will be Mbappe’s final home game, and by the looks of it, the French Cup final against Lyon on May 15 is his final game for the club. 

Mbappe took to Instagram to announce his exit.  In a video posted to Instagram, he said, “Hi everyone, it’s Kylian. I wanted to speak to you. I’ve always said that I would speak with you when the time comes, and so I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain.

I will not extend it; the adventure will end in a few weeks. I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.”

Mbappé thanked all five managers he has played for at PSG—Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Christophe Galtier, and Luis Enrique—and the club’s sporting directors.

He added: “Despite everything that can happen on the outside, all this media hype that surrounds the club sometimes, there are some real club lovers who want to protect it and make it shine, and it’s excellent, and I know that with all these people, this club is in great hands.”

In 2017, after starring for Monaco, Mbappé came close to joining Madrid, but he chose PSG after the club agreed on a world-record deal for a teenager worth €180 million.

Mbappé became PSG’s club captain and all-time top scorer with 255 goals, winning six Ligue 1 titles in seven seasons.

At the international level, he won the World Cup with France in 2018 and scored a hat trick in their World Cup final defeat to Argentina four years later.

After the video was published, Mbappé went to the Parc des Princes with his family, where he joined the club’s Ultras in their end-of-season BBQ and thanked them for their support.

The question with the fans with Real Madrid tickets is where exactly Mbappe will fit in. While Real Mard was quite vocal that they didn’t want any transfer business with Mbappe after the 200 million Euro deal was finalized and canceled, they’ve still pursued the superstar. 

Looking at how this Madrid team plays, one wonders what the ideal combination would be and how Mbappe would fit in. 

Mbappe is a highly skilled player, primed for greatness, but Real Madrid will need to make a few amends to make it work. 

Real Madrid Through to Another Final 

Fans with Real Madrid tickets were again shown their team’s potential when a late fight back saw the side making it to another Champions League final. 

A week before the Bayern Munich semifinal clash, fans with Real Madrid tickets saw their club lifting their 36th La Liga title, but the celebrations were postponed. 

Carlo Ancelotti and his team knew they had a more significant task in the Champions League, and the festivities were paused. 

Madrid measured themselves by nights like these and knew they would require all their focus for this season-defining match against Bayern.

Alphonso Davies’ curling effort shocked Carlo Ancelotti’s side, and it appeared as if their luck had run out when Nacho’s goal — via Matthijs de Ligt — was ruled out for a push on Joshua Kimmich. But Madrid always seems to find a way.

It was fitting that it should come from the most unlikely of circumstances — a late double from the substitute Joselu, who previously underwhelmed at Stoke and Newcastle United. First, the striker seized on a fumble from the otherwise excellent Manuel Neuer to slot home in the 88th minute. 

Then, the Spaniard was in the right place to turn home a ball across the goal from Antonio Rudiger—cue delirium at the Bernabeu after an agonizing VAR review.

Toni Kroos – A Fine Season

Kroos has enjoyed one of his finest seasons in a Real Madrid shirt. The Germany midfielder’s contract is up this summer — but his performances this term have suggested plenty of years left in him.

The 34-year-old was Madrid’s conductor at the Allianz Arena in the first leg, playing a glorious inch-perfect pass to set Vinicius Junior away for his opener and completing 80 of his 86 passes with a 93 percent success rate. It was a similar story in the first half at the Bernabeu as Kroos pinged passes out wide to Rodrygo and Federico Valverde and recorded a 96 percent completion rate. However, he enjoyed less influence than a week ago, with Bayern tighter in defense.

What did Ancelotti say?

Carlo Ancelotti kept believing, even when his team were trailing. “We put fresh legs on the pitch,” he told TNT Sports after the game. “Joselu is a fantastic striker; we could use the wings more and get crosses in. We did well and had a lot of energy at the end of the game.”

The Italian also praised his players’ mentality in keeping winning games from difficult positions. “I am grateful to them; they work hard and are humble and generous. I think it’s the best squad I have ever had.”

Madrid League Title Winners 

The La Liga title came way early for Real Madrid after it was confirmed that Barcelona could no longer compete with the club for the top spot. 

Carlo Ancelotti’s side eased to a 3-0 win over Cadiz earlier on Saturday, which meant the Catalan club had to win at the Estadi Montilivi.

Barcelona led 2-1 at half-time, but three second-half goals from Girona left Real with an unassailable lead at the summit with four matches of the season remaining.

England midfielder Jude Bellingham has been a key figure in Real’s success, having scored 18 goals in 26 La Liga games in his first season with the club.

Bellingham posted on X, external “CAMPEONES!!! HALA MADRID Y NADA MAS!!!” which translates as “Champions!!! Go Madrid and nothing more!!!”

This is Ancelotti’s second La Liga title as Real coach, having previously won it in 2021-22.

Real have now won nine more titles than the 27 held by Barcelona.