Mbappé: "Since I was a child, I knew I would end up at Madrid, I wanted it with all my heart"

Kylian Mbappé opened his heart to Ana Pastor this Sunday, expressing his joy at finally fulfilling his lifelong dream of playing for Real Madrid. "Since I was a child, I knew I would end up here, I wanted it with all my heart," declared the Bondy star in the interview with the LaSexta journalist, his first with a Spanish media outlet since joining the Chamartín club last June. A transfer fought over for seven years, filled with setbacks, but ultimately bringing happiness to the forward. "I am happy to be here, in this new stage, in a new country. I enjoy myself in Spain. You can see on my face if I am happy, and now I am very much so," insisted the star.

"The people are very open, I feel their affection. I like the food, especially the ham. Speaking Spanish is an effort I believe I must make when I come to live in Spain. Now I have a problem because people speak too fast. I learned it in Paris, many teammates spoke it. Also Pochettino," revealed the footballer, who displayed warmth and humility throughout an interview where he had time to discuss numerous topics.

He elaborated on the reasons that led him to choose Real Madrid over other clubs that longed for his services. "I live a dream every day by playing here. Zidane was my idol, I started because of him. This club has an aura that others do not have. It is the best in the world. Since Cristiano arrived, I have followed all the matches, he was my other idol. I had this dream and now it is a reality," said a player who expressed great gratitude for the patience Florentino Pérez had with him. "When I told him I was staying in Paris, he was also on my side. He treated my family well," the Frenchman emphasized during the conversation with Ana Pastor at the Santiago Bernabéu.

"I was a normal child with a dream, with talent, but I had my mistakes. The most important thing was always football," stated the Real Madrid forward, defending that the sporting aspect was always foremost in his mind. "There are many things said that are true and others that are false. I have no problem talking about money. I just wanted to play here, with the shirt, score goals, and have people shout my name. The most important thing is to be happy," continued the '9', whom Real Madrid courted from the first time they tried to attract him as a teenager, but he delayed his arrival to continue growing in a familiar environment. "There were possibilities to stay, but I couldn't because of my family. I couldn't come alone, it was a good decision," he assured.

He spoke about his mother, Fayza Lamari, about whom so much has been written, some true and some not so much. "People had a tough image of her. In the world of football, people don't want many women around. They don't see it well. It's false, she's not my agent, she's my mother. She only wants the best for me, she does the same for my brother, but he's not famous," he explained about a key figure in managing his career, as well as his father, Wilfried, from whom he inherited his passion for football. "I talk a lot with my family. With my father, we share a passion for football. With my mother, I talk about the more human side," he indicated.

The star described himself as a normal person who just wants to do what he loves, away from the extravagances that accompany other stars. "It comes from education, you have to be humble. I try to have the most normal life possible. I want to give the image that I am a normal guy," detailed the French prodigy in an interview where his most committed side to the less fortunate came to light. "I had talent, but I was very lucky. Now I have to take care of the children, through my foundation. I am very happy. It's the most important thing I've done in my life. We must learn to live together, regardless of everything else, that's the message of my foundation. It doesn't matter if you come from a neighborhood or are rich. I can't change the world, but I try to do my part," he noted.

He made a plea against racism. "It's a life issue, not just football. We have to stop it, we have to take action. Players are more supportive of each other than before, but it's not enough. It's very difficult for us, but we are famous and many people love us. We have to take care of those who are not in our situation," Mbappé emphasized, who pushed back against those who attributed his poor start to the season to a mental health issue. "I know people and teammates who have had depression. I wasn't playing well, but not because of a mental health issue. I didn't like it when they said that because it's a serious topic. Now people aren't afraid to talk about these issues and that's good. I hit rock bottom in a sporting way, not mentally. I have a lot of respect for this topic," noted a footballer who claims not to look at social media.

He looked back to review his arrival at Real Madrid. "When I had to wait alone in the tunnel, those were the longest five minutes of my life. 80,000 people, I expected that madness. From the club, they told me it would be full, it was a pleasure for me. People understand that Madrid was my dream and that we share a passion. Zidane was there, but he came as a surprise, I only saw him afterwards," he noted about his presentation day, the forward who was happy with the reception from his teammates and praised his current coach. "All the players welcomed me, they sent me messages... Ancelotti is a bit of everything. He knows when to be a father, a friend, a boss... He has made history here and wants to continue making it," he stated.

He boasted about his relationship with Vinicius, denying any rivalry between them. "I came with the idea of playing with him, I can't imagine Madrid without Vini. We play well together, we are going to help Madrid," said Mbappé, who expressed his desire to "make history" at Real Madrid and win many titles, especially the Champions League. "Winning a Champions League with the best club in the world is winning the biggest title and making history here. The Ballon d'Or is an individual title. I choose the Champions League," he concluded.