A gift from one legend to another: Kylian Mbappe presents Rafael Nadal his Real Madrid jersey

Rafael Nadal among the audience as Kylian Mbappe made his La Liga debut for Real Madrid.

French footballer Kylian Mbappe, who made his LaLiga debut on Sunday, in a heartfelt gesture, handed his Real Madrid shirt to fellow sporting icon and tennis legend Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard, from Mallorca, was on hand to watch Real Madrid take on RCD Mallorca in their league stage. Lionel Scaloni, Argentina’s national football coach, also turned up to watch the Spanish League fixture.

After the game, Mbappe and Nadal met and acknowledged each other, besides a souvenir from the quick meeting changing hands. A video on the social media handle of La Liga showed Mbappe handing Nadal his match-worn Real Madrid jersey.

💫 Grandeza reconoce grandeza.@RafaelNadal 🤝 @KMbappe#InsideLALIGA | #LALIGAEASPORTS pic.twitter.com/wAJpUby0Jy

— LALIGA (@LaLiga) August 18, 2024

Mbappe’s LaLiga debut on Sunday saw defending champions Real Madrid take on RCD Mallorca, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Rodrygo put Real Madrid ahead when he found the back of the net in the 13th minute from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner with an assist by Vinícius Júnior.

Vedat Muriqi helped RCD Mallorca equalise in the 53rd minute thanks to a Dani Rodríguez assist with a cross following a corner. 

Also Read: A lookback at Rafael Nadal’s gold medal at 2008 Beijing Olympics

Less than a week after helping Real Madrid to a 2–0 victory over Atalanta BC in the UEFA Super Cup, the French star went without scoring at  Estadi Mallorca Son Moix. In his second game with Madrid after debuting midweek, Mbappe failed to break through.

The French great scored a goal in Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over in the UEFA Super Cup Finals on Wednesday. The Carlo Ancelotti-led club are the most successful side in Super Cup history after winning a record sixth title.

Nadal, on a break after his run at the Paris Olympics, spoke about his retirement plans on the sidelines. The former World No. 1 said he has not come to a decision just yet and plans to focus on the Laver Cup, which gets underway in the third week of September.

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