Zinedine Zidane recalls 14-year-old Kylian Mbappe’s Real Madrid trial as French legends finally unite for Les Bleus

Long before they were the faces of the French national team’s new era, Zidane and Mbappe shared a brief but significant moment at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground. Back in 2012, when Mbappe was a highly-rated 14-year-old prospect at Clairefontaine, he was already being chased by Europe’s elite clubs. Madrid, desperate to secure his signature, invited the youngster and his family for a week-long experience in Spain during his school holidays. The Spanish giants pulled out all the stops, offering a private box at the Santiago Bernabeu and sessions where the teenager rubbed shoulders with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Zidane, who was working within the club’s hierarchy at the time, was the man tasked with personally showing the young prodigy around the facilities. While the move eventually fell through as Mbappe’s family opted for the development project at AS Monaco, the impression left on both men was lasting.