The star will retain 80% of his image rights, with Real Madrid holding the remaining 20%. There are many millions at stake. This, along with the signing bonus, will help pay part of the star’s high salary.
Image rights are the last detail to be finalized for the Mbappé transfer to be signed. The player and Real Madrid are still ironing out the final terms of the contract, even though a global agreement is in place.
It has been revealed that the club does not intend to break the salary scale for the French star, and his net salary will not exceed 15 million euros. The signing bonus, distributed over a five-year contract, will significantly increase this figure. However, the final sticking point is how the image rights will be distributed, a matter of great economic importance.
Traditionally at Real Madrid, image rights have been split 50/50 between the club and player. This policy laid the foundation for the Galáctico era under Florentino Pérez, which transformed the club’s financial landscape through the earnings generated by Figo, Ronaldo, Beckham, and Zidane. Cristiano Ronaldo was the first player for whom this norm was altered, as complying with it would have made paying his salary impossible.
According to reliable sources cited by AS, Haaland retains 100% of his rights at City, and Endrick, almost a newcomer, shares 50% of his with Madrid. The final discussion between Mbappé and the club is about these rights.
As reported on El Chiringuito, an agreement is close to being finalized: 80% of the rights for Mbappé and 20% for Madrid, applicable only to contracts signed after joining the club. Naturally, any prior contracts are entirely the French player’s property.
The stakes are high, as Mbappé currently generates 20 million euros annually from advertising, a figure expected to increase significantly once he joins Real Madrid, enhancing his global profile.
Currently, Mbappé is the ninth most-followed athlete on social media, with over 117 million followers. Ahead of him are sports stars like Benzema, Beckham, Ronaldinho, LeBron, cricket star Virat Kohli, and the top trio: Neymar (349 million), Messi (522 million), and Cristiano (783 million).
Today, the distribution of social media revenue is also stipulated in the contracts players sign, which includes specific clauses and this is also part of the discussions between Mbappé and Real Madrid.
Image rights are crucial for both the club and the star. The player has wisely not tied his trademark, KM, to any specific jersey number, allowing him the flexibility to choose any number at Madrid. The number 9 is available, and Modric is likely to leave the number 10, which he already wears for the national team. According to AS, the star has applied for trademark protection for his surname and his signature goal celebration pose with crossed arms across the 27 EU countries. This application was filed on February 8 through a Parisian law firm at the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
Thus, Mbappé aims to secure commercial use in diverse areas such as cosmetics, toothpaste, perfumery, diving suits, jewelry, binding materials, umbrellas, bags, and travel goods, spanning eight of the categories in the Nice Classification, which regulates the products and services eligible for trademark registration.
In addition to his name, surname, and goal celebration illustration, EFE notes that Mbappé has registered two of his most memorable quotes at the EUIPO.
Currently, Mbappé’s main sponsors are Nike, Hublot, and Oakley. When he signs with Real Madrid, he will become the most sought-after athlete of the moment. The player will strike gold, and Madrid will see a significant economic return.
