Three young stars lead the race for Real Madrid’s No. 9 shirt, left newly vacant by Kylian Mbappé.
The legacy of the number nine at Real Madrid stems back nearly an entire century. Legends of the past, including Alfredo Di Stéfano and Raymond Kopa, shined for the Spanish giants with the number nine on their back, paving the way for the stars of the future, like Karim Benzema, to inherit a shirt worn by some the club’s best goalscorers.
Mbappé was the most recent player handed the honor of wearing the iconic shirt for Los Blancos, and he put together the best debut season in club history. The Frenchman is now Real Madrid’s new No. 10, leaving the No. 9 available ahead of the 2025–26 season.
While there is not an outright starting striker ready to take on the number, there are three emerging talents that are in the running for the number nine shirt at Real Madrid.






