Could the key to Real Madrid winning a title this season lie not in Xabi Alonso's tactics or flashy new signings, but in something as symbolic as Kylian Mbappe donning the legendary No.10 shirt?
For a club built on legends and late drama, silence can be deafening. That’s exactly what Real Madrid had to endure in the 2024-25 season — a rare campaign without a single major trophy despite signing French superstar Kylian Mbappe. No LaLiga triumph. No Champions League miracle. Not even the consolation of the Club World Cup.
In a city where even winning isn't always enough, not winning at all felt like a crisis.
Carlo Ancelotti’s quiet farewell in May brought the curtain down on one of the most successful chapters in modern Madrid history. In his place came a man who once bossed the midfield in white — Xabi Alonso — now tasked with rebuilding a side that looked, for the first time in years, a little lost.
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False Start for the Xabi Alonso Era
Xabi Alonso’s debut in the dugout wasn’t exactly fairytale stuff. Madrid’s first real test — the Club World Cup — ended not with a trophy, but questions. Despite a handful of promising new signings and a tactical system that emphasised youth, the spark never quite arrived.
It was a rocky beginning for a manager whose ideas are bold, but whose bench was still figuring itself out.
Yet, among the growing pains and restless fans, one change stood out — not for tactics or goals — but for what it symbolised.
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Kylian Mbappe's No.10: The Number That Carries History
When Luka Modric finally passed on the number 10 shirt, it felt like the end of an era. The Croatian had worn it with grace and grit, pulling strings from midfield while collecting trophies like souvenirs. After more than a decade, it was hard to imagine anyone else wearing it.
The French superstar had arrived a season earlier amid fanfare and expectation. Now, stepping into his second season, he was handed Modric’s number — a number that, over the years, has come to mean more than just placement on the team sheet.
At Real Madrid, wearing the number 10 is about storytelling. And the story it tells now is Mbappe’s to write.
Since 2011, three players have inherited that number — and every single time, in their first season wearing it, Real Madrid won at least one trophy.
In 2011/12, Mesut Ozil wore it under Mourinho. Madrid stormed to a record-breaking LaLiga title, scoring 121 goals and finishing with 100 points.
Then came James Rodriguez in 2014/15, fresh off a golden World Cup. Madrid won both the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup in his debut year with the 10 on his back.
Luka Modric took over in 2017/18 — and Real won four trophies, including a third consecutive Champions League.
It’s an eerie pattern. 1 title with Ozil. 2 with James. 4 with Modric.
Now Mbappe’s turn has come. The math — and the magic — has Madridistas wondering: could this be the year of the treble?
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Kylian Mbappe: A Leader in the Making
While the 2024-25 season may not have ended with silverware, it did offer one consistent positive: Kylian Mbappe.
He wasn’t just Madrid’s top scorer — he was their brightest spark. Whether darting past defenders or shouldering responsibility when the chips were down, Mbappe looked every bit the Galactico Madrid had pursued for years.
What’s more important? He’s starting to look like a leader. With the number 10 now stitched to his back, the 26-year-old doesn’t just represent the club’s present — he’s the bridge to its future.
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Youth, Vision and Xabi’s Big Bet
Xabi Alonso may have had a rocky start, but his intent has never been in doubt. He’s betting on youth — on raw talent and long-term chemistry over short-term fixes.
Players like Nico Paz, Arda Guler, and even 18-year-old Endrick have seen real minutes, and there’s a growing feeling that Alonso’s Madrid will be more than just a Galactico showcase.
The question is: will the project bear fruit soon enough to satisfy the demands of a club that refuses to wait?
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Odds, Expectations and the Madrid Mindset
The bookmakers still believe. Real Madrid are favourites for LaLiga again, with odds of 1.73, while a Champions League triumph sits at 7.5. For those dreaming big — a double of both LaLiga and the Champions League — the odds are 13.0.
But anyone who knows Madrid knows this much: odds mean nothing when the anthem plays at the Bernabeu.
What matters is hunger. And after a season in the shadows, Madrid is starving for success.
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Kylian Mbappe: A Shirt, A Symbol, A Second Chance
The number 10 jersey is more than cloth and thread at Real Madrid. It’s a symbol — of magic, of responsibility, of legacy.
Mbappe now carries that weight on his shoulders. And in a city that worships its footballers like gods, the expectations are stratospheric.
Still, if anyone can live up to the pressure, it’s him. Fast, fearless, already a Ballon d’Or winner, Mbappe now has a second season to settle, to shine — and to lead.
History says Madrid always finds a way back. This time, maybe the number 10 is the way forward.
