Modric sparks Real Madrid BATTLE between Mbappe and Bellingham

Robin Bairner

• 23 May 2025 12:10 BST
• 4 min read

News

Luka Modric has announced that he will leave Real Madrid in the summer after 13 years at the Bernabeu, but the departure of the iconic Croatia international midfielder will leave ripples at Los Blancos.

In particular, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe are set for something of an internal war to fill a void left by the 39-year-old.

Modric has worn the iconic No.10 jersey for Real Madrid since 2012 but his departure will leave this jersey open. Both Bellingham and Mbappe are fighting to secure it, according to a report from Marca.

The 10 shirt is special at any club, but as the Spanish media points out, at Real Madrid it “catapults you to a different dimension and boosts your status in the dressing room”. For that reason, there are many stars who would love to wear the jersey.

Compared

Jude Bellingham

AM (C), M (CL)

Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham

AM (C), M (CL)

Real Madrid

VS

Kylian Mbappé

F (C)

Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappé

F (C)

Real Madrid

€137.8M	ETV	€143.1M
€124M - €151.6M	ETV Range	€107.3M - €178.9M
21 years old (29 Jun, 2003)	Age	26 years old (20 Dec, 1998)
England	Nationality	France

Who will wear the No.10 shirt at Real Madrid?

Mbappe and Bellingham are the two leading candidates to wear the No.10 jersey for Real Madrid during the 2025/26 season.

Having arrived from PSG on a free transfer a year ago, Mbappe was shunted into the No.9 shirt as a matter of practicality. He had previously favoured the No.7 shirt at PSG.

It is claimed that the France international star has the “absolute priority” to take the shirt.

But there is no guarantee that Mbappe will want to move away from the No.9 jersey after a strong first season at the Bernabeu.

In this case, it could be Bellingham who takes it. The England international midfielder currently wears the No.5 shirt, which was a strategic decision on the part of the club after Zinedine Zidane previously had the jersey. After two seasons in this jersey, he too might decide to stick with his current number.

Other options exist. There’s an outside chance that Trent Alexander-Arnold could take the shirt or perhaps another Galactico addition could take the iconic jersey. Nico Paz, who could return from Como, is seen as one suitable option.

Youngsters Arda Guler and Endrick are other potential candidates, yet for now it appears a straight fight between Mbappe and Bellingham.

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