Spanish giants Real Madrid on Wednesday confirmed that the French superstar Kylian Mbappe will wear jersey number 9 in his first season with the Los Blancos. Earlier in June, Real Madrid revealed the arrival of Mbappe in the club. The 25-year-old World Cup winner joined the Los Merengues after leaving Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The French superstar will follow his idol Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps who also wore the jersey number 9 after joining the Whites in 2009. Currently, Brazilian attacker Vinicius Junior is wearing the legendary number 7 jersey, which is why Mbappe has been given the number 9. Earlier, Karim Benzema wore the number 9 jersey and set many records for Los Blancos.

The 15-time UEFA Champions League (UCL) winner also confirmed that French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga will wear jersey number 6 and Uruguayan Fede Valverde will shift to jersey number 8, taking over from Toni Kroos. Defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni will move to 14, a jersey worn previously by Xabi Alonso and Casemiro. Turkish youngster Arda Guler will wear the jersey with the number 15 on his back. Meanwhile, Spanish defender Jesus Vallejo will wear the number 18.

Changes with shirt numbers in the squad.#RealMadrid

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) July 10, 2024

“Several Real Madrid players will change their jersey numbers at the start of the 2024/25 season. Camavinga, who until now wore the number 12, will change to 6. Valverde will change from 15 to 8 and Tchouameni will move from 18 to 14. Arda Guler, who wore the number 24 last season, will wear 15 and Vallejo will wear the number 18,” Real Madrid stated.

“Real Madrid CF and Kylian Mbappe have reached an agreement under which he will become a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons,” Real Madrid said in an official statement while announcing Mbappe’s arrival in the club.

Mbappe joined PSG from AS Monaco in 2017, following that he has played 308 matches for the Paris club and scored 256 goals. The French striker was 19 years old when he left his childhood club for PSG. In the recently concluded season of the Ligue 1, the Frenchman appeared in 29 matches and got the back of the net 27 times. He also made 7 assists in the French league.

However, Mbappe never hid from accepting that his dream was to play for the 14-time UEFA Champions League (UCL) winner Real Madrid. For the last several years, Los Blancos have been trying to bring him to Madrid, but Mbappe wasn’t keen on an exit before the expiration of his contract. In 2021, Real Madrid had gone all out to sign Mbappe, offering 220 million Euros. However, PSG turned it down.

Lamine Yamal, 16, became the tournament’s youngest ever goalscorer as Spain came back to beat France 2-1 in Munich on Tuesday and reach the Euro 2024 final. Trailing after Randal Kolo Muani headed in a Kylian Mbappe cross in the ninth minute, Spain turned the match around in a four-minute period, scoring twice against a side who had only conceded once in five previous games in this tournament. Yamal, who turns 17 a day before Sunday’s final against either the Netherlands or England in Berlin, equalised with a superb strike from outside the box, curling a long-range effort into the top corner and past the fingertips of an airborne Mike Maignan.

Spain took the lead on 25 minutes, Dani Olmo expertly gathering a loose ball and firing a low shot into the net with the aid of a deflection off Jules Kounde.

Masters of midfield game management, Spain shut up shop after taking the lead, frequently holding possession rather than attack on the counter, controlling the match and claiming the win.

Three-time champions Spain became the first team to win six games at a Euros and are one game away from a record-breaking fourth crown.

Finalists in three of the past four major tournaments, questions will be asked of how France failed to click up front despite boasting enviable attacking riches.

France had only scored three goals heading into the match, none of which were scored by a French player from open play and coach Didier Deschamps reacted, benching forward Antoine Griezmann for Ousmane Dembele.

Yamal created the first chance of the match four minutes in, lofting a curling cross to an unmarked Fabian Ruiz, who headed over from point-blank range.

Four minutes later, Mbappe skated down the left flank and sent in a carbon copy of Yamal’s cross, but Kolo Muani’s header was on target to give France the lead.

While the pre-match doubts focused on Spain veterans Jesus Navas, 38, and Nacho, 34, who replaced suspended duo Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand, the younger Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella were at fault for Kolo Muani’s opener.

France’s strike seemed to take the wind out of Spain’s sails but it was the youngest player on the pitch who produce a piece of sublime brilliance to level the scores.

Collecting the ball well outside the box, Yamal cut inside, took one look at the goal and unleashed a perfect curling strike into the top left corner.

The goal made Yamal, who already has three assists at Euro 2024, the youngest scorer in the competition’s history, beating the previous record by a year and a half.

Lamal’s goal, 13 minutes after France’s opener, ignited Spain’s attack and La Roja took the lead four minutes later through Olmo.

Olmo leapt acrobatically to collect a cleared cross, shed a defender and smashed goalwards, his shot taking a deflection off Kounde before bouncing in.

France’s best chance to force extra time fell to their captain with five minutes remaining, but Mbappe blasted well over with only goalkeeper Unai Simon to beat.

Spain vs France Live Streaming Euro 2024 Semi-Final: When, Where To Watch© AFP

Spain vs France Semifinal, UEFA Euro 2024 LIVE Updates© AFP

Politics around the world is evolving in ways that both leaders and analysts are finding difficult to assess and respond to. Politicians are scrambling to sustain support as new entrants make inroads into constituencies that have lost faith in the established order. It is in this melee of the old and the new that the grammar of today’s politics is charting a course of its own. Globally, the political elites have never seemed so out of touch as they seem today, unable to respond to the challenge from their streets.

In just the last few days, US President Joe Biden’s credibility saw a free fall, while the UK booted out an accidental, out-of-touch Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and ushered in the Labour Raj at a time when the rest of Europe is moving to the right. The French have given a mandate to the Far Right. Nine months after the terror attacks of October 7, Israel is facing a civil war-like situation, with people demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation even as the nation remains in a state of war on multiple fronts. In Iran, Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian found himself elected as the nation’s new president, beating his hardline conservative rival Saeed Jalili by securing around 53.3% of votes, nine percentage points more than Jalili.

Also Read | Rishi Sunak: For Whom Everything That Could Go Wrong, Went Wrong

A Reformist In Iran, ‘Changemaker’ In UK

Different nations, different challenges, different political arcs, but all facing a moment of political reckoning. Ironically, it is Iran where the recent change of leadership holds the most promise. This is not the first time a reformist has come to power in Iran in a system that has been dominated by the “supreme leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei since 1989. The conservatives have controlled all the levers of power and have managed to scuttle earlier reformists like Mohammad Khatami and Hassan Rouhani. However, there has been a growing disillusionment with the ruling elites. By criticising Iran’s morality police and promising “unity and cohesion”  as well as an end to Iran’s “isolation” from the world, Pezeshkian talked in a language that appealed to those who want normalcy in a nation that has been on the edge of a precipice for years now.

Rishi Sunak, on the other hand, was not only bogged down by the legacy of his predecessors who had made a mockery of public mandates, but he was also unable to soothe the British public struggling with rising costs of living and a crumbling public services infrastructure. The Conservative Party imploded, and Sunak’s leadership never managed to rise to match the needs of today’s Britain. And so, the Labour Party ended up getting a landslide even without increasing its vote share, thereby taking the United Kingdom in a direction opposite to the rest of Europe, where the Right is ascending.

Close Shave For Macron

In France, President Emmanuel Macron had to call a snap election fearing the resurgence of the nation’s far-right party, the National Rally (RN). Only a last-minute, left-wing tactical adjustment could prevent an outright landslide for the RN. But this should be seen as just a consolation prize, as the RN has greatly increased its representation in Parliament. 

Also Read | Disaster Averted, But Macron Still Faces Big Challenge Ahead

Separately, last month, the European Union elections saw a resurgence of the right in ways few had anticipated, and the triumph of Eurosceptic parties will have serious long-term consequences for the ability of the 27-member bloc to work cohesively.

Concerns About Biden

The world’s eyes, however, are now on the leadership contest in the US, where two old white men are busy damaging the brand of American democracy. Donald Trump, under whose presidency the foundations of the American democratic institutional fabric came close to collapsing, continues to be ahead in the presidential race, as the base of the Republican Party continues to move to the right. Trump’s supporters still view him as an anti-establishment candidate and despite facing a number of charges in the courts, he is hailed as a victim. His greatest advantage is that he has his primary opponent in President Joe Biden, who, after a disastrous debate performance, is having a difficult time convincing his own party about his candidacy. 

Also Read | “He Looks Different”: Wild Theories Over Joe Biden’s Appearance

Old templates no longer apply to the new political climate, where fast-evolving aspirations demand a change in the status quo. Back home in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third consecutive victory and Indian democracy’s continuing resilience underscores the Indian electorate’s ability to make nuanced choices even as the world around it undergoes a dramatic shift. Even so, this global churn has a lesson for Indian political leaders and the larger system.

(Harsh V Pant is Vice President for Studies and Foreign Policy at ORF.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

(This article is part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.)

For many across the world, the poll outcomes of the United Kingdom, Iran, and France herald some relief and hope, as they broadly reflect a setback for conservative parties and right-wing forces.

After 14 years in power, the Tories were finally voted out, while newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to “begin the work of change”. Our London-based correspondent Sriram Lakshman tracked the election and its outcome closely. Notably, five independent pro-Palestine candidates, including former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, won in the U.K.’s general elections, in the wake of Israel’s devastating war on Gaza, which many voters deemed a key poll issue.

While the results have been welcomed by many, it is also important to be mindful of the remarkable performance of ultra-right wing leader Nigel Farage, who won after losing seven times, and his party, Reform UK, that won more than 14% of the vote, albeit only four seats. As The Hindu editorial observed, this will be a worry in the context of the party’s openly xenophobic rhetoric against immigrants. It also brings to the fore the challenge in sustaining the new regimes amid the political and economic crises facing the world.

Wasting no time settling in, Mr. Starmer spent his first few hours in the office holding phone calls with U.K. allies and partners, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Discussing the Free Trade Agreement, the Prime Minister said he stood ready to conclude a deal that worked for both sides,” Downing Street said, describing the India-UK relationship as “strong and respectful”.

Meanwhile, in Iran, reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian won the presidential runoff election, besting hard-liner Saeed Jalili. A protege of former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, the surgeon-turned-politician assumes the presidency at a time when the Islamic Republic is witnessing social tensions and economic woes at home and heightened geopolitical risks abroad. His supporters want reform, but the establishment wants the status quo. Mr. Pezeshkian’s challenge is to do what even his mentor, Mohammad Khatami, failed to do: bring in incremental reforms at home, steady the economy, and stabilise Iran’s ties abroad, writes Stanly Johny in this profile of the new President.

The victory of Mr. Pezeshkian, a reformist who opposes moral policing of women and calls for engagement rather than confrontation with the West shows that the Islamic Republic, plagued by economic woes and social tensions, is still capable of springing a surprise. The rest of the world must do more to engage with reformists in Iran, The Hindu’s editorial on the poll outcome said.

As our newsletter reaches you today, all eyes are also on France, where the left is emerging as the biggest group in the new parliament but has yet to even agree on a figure who it would want to be the new Prime Minister.

How will these poll outcomes impact India? Our Diplomatic Affairs Editor Suhasini Haidar presents a detailed overview in her latest episode of Worldview. Watch here.

In the neighbourhood:

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Sabry Ali Sabry has said Colombo would lift the ban on foreign research vessels beginning next year. The ban was imposed in January 2024, after India repeatedly voiced concern about Chinese research vessels calling at Sri Lankan ports. Our report.

Reflecting the tricky India-China balancing act that governments in our region are forced to pursue, a leading member of the Bangladesh government has said India is a time-tested political friend of Bangladesh, and China is a friend necessary for Bangladesh to attain its developmental goals.

Meanwhile, days ahead of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to China, India’s envoy to Bangladesh Pranay Verma has identified ‘energy connectivity’ as a key pillar of the “transformative changes” that are shaping the India-Bangladesh relationship.

Should India review its Myanmar policy in view of the humanitarian crisis? Kallol Bhattacherjee spoke to former diplomat Rajiv Bhatia and human rights lawyer Nandita Haksar

Top 5 stories we are reading this week

France go into Tuesday’s Euro 2024 semi-final showdown against Spain hoping Kylian Mbappe can finally produce a performance worthy of his superstar status at a tournament in which he has struggled to find form and fitness.

The match in Munich is a mouthwatering prospect and a huge occasion in particular for Mbappe, in his first major tournament captaining his country and just before he starts a new chapter in his career at Real Madrid.

At 25, and having just completed his dream move to the Champions League winners, Mbappe should be in the prime of his footballing life.

But the man who won the World Cup as a teenager and scored an incredible hat-trick in the 2022 final in Qatar, has not been able to play anywhere near his best at the European Championship.

Mbappe joined up with the France squad after a difficult final campaign at Paris Saint-Germain which was marred by a slightly messy divorce from the club as his playing time was reduced.

Already floundering to some extent physically, lacking his usual explosive edge, a broken nose in Les Bleus’ opening game at the tournament against Austria has further diminished him.

He has scored just once, from a penalty, at the Euros and it may be no exaggeration to say his performance in Friday’s quarter-final against Portugal in Hamburg was the worst of his career in such a big game.

Mbappe ended up being substituted halfway through extra time — he later admitted he was simply exhausted — and so watched from the sidelines as his teammates won on penalties.

“He might not have been here at all, so we need to look at it in a positive light,” coach Didier Deschamps told broadcaster TF1 on Sunday.

“Kylian is here, even if he is not at 100 percent, and I know that has an impact on the opposition who are forced to adapt to him.”

Whether Spain are too worried is yet to be found out, with Mbappe clearly inhibited by the protective mask he has to wear over his injured nose.

There is little prospect of him challenging for a header, and he has indicated that his field of vision is reduced by the mask.

His poor form, along with that of vice-captain Antoine Griezmann, helps explain why France have scored just three goals in five games on their run to the semi-final — one being Mbappe’s penalty against Poland and the other two coming via own goals.

‘When he talks, we listen’

However, Mbappe’s teammates insist they are not worried about their captain’s performances.

“I don’t think he is going through a bad period. He had a great season. If he is not scoring goals we need to help him. The competition is not over. Apart from his little nose, he is fine,” said Randal Kolo Muani, who played with Mbappe at PSG in the last campaign, on Sunday.

Mbappe is France’s third-top scorer of all time with 48 goals in 83 appearances, but he has just two in his last nine caps.

In the meantime, he has settled into the role of captain which he was given after Hugo Lloris retired in the wake of the 2022 World Cup.

On Friday, after being substituted, television cameras caught Mbappe giving a rousing speech to his teammates just before the penalty shoot-out against Portugal.

“Kylian is the player who went through one-on-one three times in a World Cup final,” said midfielder Youssouf Fofana in reference to his hat-trick against Argentina in Doha.

“So when he talks about penalties before a shoot-out, we listen to him.”

Mbappe is also very much at ease in front of the media, and has notably used the platform given to him in pre-game press conferences to talk politics, making clear his opposition to the far-right National Rally in relation to the French parliamentary elections.

He is a natural leader, but it is goals that this shot-shy France team want more than anything from him.

Mbappe will not come directly up against one of his future club colleagues against Spain, with right-back Dani Carvajal suspended after his sending-off against Germany in the quarter-finals.

Whoever replaces Carvajal, Mbappe will hope to come out on top and lead France to a third final in the last four major tournaments.

Theo Hernandez scored the winning kick as Kylian Mbappe‘s France edged a tense Euro 2024 quarter-final clash with Portugal 5-3 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes on Friday in what will likely be remembered as Cristiano Ronaldo‘s last-ever match at the tournament. France were successful with all their penalties as they advance to a last-four showdown with Spain, while Portugal’s Joao Felix was the only player to miss, sending his team’s third kick against the post. It is overdue success in a shoot-out for France after they lost the 2022 World Cup final on penalties to Argentina and went out of the last Euros three years ago in the same way, against Switzerland in the last 16. They also lost on penalties in the last major tournament in Germany, going down to Italy in the final of the 2006 World Cup.

Mbappe, who missed the crucial kick against the Swiss, was already off the pitch by the time this shoot-out came around, having been replaced by Bardley Barcola midway through extra time.

Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Youssouf Fofana and Jules Kounde also scored from the spot for France.

Mbappe endured a frustrating evening as he continues to search for his best form in the competition but appears inhibited while wearing a mask to protect the nose he broke against Austria in France’s opening game.

At least he will get another chance to star in the semi-final, while Ronaldo, at 39, appears to have played at a Euros for the last time.

This has been his sixth European Championship, but he failed to add to his tournament record tally of 14 goals in Germany after misfiring in all of Portugal’s five matches.

He scored his penalty, Portugal’s first, but Roberto Martinez’s team go out having failed to find the net in over six hours of football.

They beat Slovenia on penalties in the last 16 after a goalless draw, but this time fell short in what was a disappointing game in Hamburg.

Neither of these teams had played anywhere close to their potential in their previous games at the tournament, but especially France, who got this far without any of their players scoring a goal in open play.

Randal Kolo Muani’s reward for coming off the bench to force the late own goal which allowed Les Bleus to beat Belgium in the last round was a place in the starting line-up.

Eduardo Camavinga also came in, replacing the suspended Adrien Rabiot in midfield, while Antoine Griezmann was deployed as a number 10 behind Kolo Muani and Mbappe.

France have been happy to sit off teams and rely on an excellent defence, while also struggling to play with any real intensity when in possession.

They had less of the ball in this game, an often disappointing contest, which did briefly come to life in the second half.

Portugal began to cause problems with runners getting into the box from midfield, first when Bruno Fernandes had a shot saved by Mike Maignan just after the hour mark.

Vitinha was next to try his luck moments later as he got on the end of Rafael Leao’s low centre. Maignan, determined not to concede a first goal in open play at the competition, saved his shot and reacted quickly to stop Ronaldo back-heeling the ball in from close range.

France responded as Kolo Muani played a one-two with Kounde and went for goal, only for a vital Ruben Dias interception to save Portugal.

Deschamps then withdrew Antoine Griezmann and sent on Dembele, who wasted no time in setting up a golden chance for Camavinga which the midfielder put wide.

After that, the game began to drift inevitably towards extra time, in which Ronaldo squandered a good opportunity from substitute Francisco Conceicao’s cutback.

That was more than Mbappe managed, and France’s captain watched the end of extra time from the bench, as Maignan denied Nuno Mendes at the very end of 120 minutes and penalties followed.

The shoot-out unfolded at the Portugal end of the Volksparkstadion, with Maignan not managing to make a save but not needing to.

Portugal’s Diogo Costa saved three Slovenia penalties in the last round, but could not stop any this time.

Portugal vs France, UEFA Euro 2024 Quarterfinal LIVE Updates© AFP

Portugal vs France Live Streaming Euro 2024 Quarter Final Live Telecast: When And Where To Watch© AFP