MADRID, -- Looking up at the fans packed into the stands at the Santiago Bernabeu, Kylian Mbappé smiled. He had waited a long time to say these words. "Wow.

It's incredible to be here," he said. "I dreamt for many years about playing for Real Madrid. Today, that dream comes true.

" The story is well known by now: Mbappé followed Real Madrid as a boy, visited the club on trial, almost joined them in 2017 and again in 2022. Now, Mbappé has actually arrived, officially signing a five-year contract Tuesday after leaving on a free transfer at the end of the 2023-24 season. Such a long wait deserves a warm welcome and Real Madrid's fans agreed, flocking to the stadium to greet him.

The crowds meant it felt like an off-season LaLiga matchday, but this was all about one man. The vendors didn't disappoint either, with Mbappé shirts, scarves and facemasks all readily available. The new club shop, built into the side of the redeveloped Bernabeu, became the Kylian Mbappé shop.

His face was displayed floor to ceiling on giant screens, the shelves stocked almost exclusively with his shirts. Fans had queued for hours in the Madrid sunshine, with temperatures coming close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) waiting for the stadium's gates to open ahead of a midday start. All the tickets -- made available for free to club members -- had been snapped up days earlier.

The Bernabeu pitch was turned into a stage for the occasion. At one end, where one of the goals would usuall.