Kylian Mbappe netted the first goal of his Real Madrid career in the 2-0 Super Cup victory over Italian side Atalanta. The French striker linked up with England international Jude Bellingham to fire in the second goal of the game to seal his first piece of silverware in the famous white shirt.
After latching onto Bellingham’s pass into the penalty area, the 25-year-old took aim and fired the ball into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper helpless. Just seconds after seeing the net ripple, Mbappe was pulling out his iconic celebration, which sees him jump in the air and fold his arms upon landing. View the goal and celebration below:
His new teammates, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo hilariously joined in and copied his actions, displaying just how well the former Paris Saint-Germain star has settled into his new environment. While it’s become a familiar sight to see Mbappe execute this move after scoring, many may be unaware of where the celebration originates from.
Mbappe’s Celebration Inspiration
It came from his brother originally
Mbappe’s younger brother, Ethan, can stake a claim on the celebration his brother has now turned into a worldwide phenomenon. While the story has changed, both versions told by the senior Mbappe sibling have credited Ethan. Originally, Real Madrid’s newest superstar stated (per talkSPORT):
“He [Ethan] scored a goal and celebrated by crossing his arms. Five minutes later, he stopped and said, ‘Kylian, you could do that in a match.’ So, I did it.”
However, he later claimed the folded arms action originated from a game of FIFA between the pair: “In fact, it was not me who came up with it. It was my brother when I played with him on the PlayStation.”
According to Spanish outlet AS, Mbappe tried to attain the trademark for the celebration earlier in 2024. This would mean anyone looking to use it would need to pay the Frenchman or get his permission. This would impact any brands or products that wish to use Mbappe’s well-known celebration.
Real Madrid’s New Talisman
Mbappe’s footballing idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, is the greatest player in Real Madrid’s long and storied history. He’s also among the best players to have occupied the number nine shirt for the club. For the latest star to move to the Santiago Bernabeu to come anywhere near matching the legacy of his hero, the goals will need to keep coming.
His first goal for Los Blancos means Mbappe pulls one goal closer to Ronaldo’s unfathomable 450 tally for the club. He’s almost definitely not going to reach those heights in the famous white shirt, but expect to see the prolific forward pull out his celebration many, many times for club and country in the years to come.
Other players have even copied the movement after scoring in the past, most notably Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold. Young kids will be pulling out the Mbappe celebration on football pitches across the globe due to the impact he’s had on the beautiful game.