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A player has just been announced as a new team member of Real Madrid What should he say - I am so very happy to be playing for real madrid. Or I am so very happy to play for real madrid.

Can we use Present continuous here because we are talking about an activity that is going to take place in near future ?!? And does 'to play for' means that he has already been playing for real madrid.

Which one of the above two sentences is right ?

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    Using both the optional intensifiers so and very isn't actually "incorrect", but it's far more common among non-native speakers than among the natives (many of whom would see it as an "affectation" rather an idiomatically natural way of adding emphasis). In your exact case it wouldn't make much difference (because most of the Real Madrid players aren't Anglophones anyway), but if he was joining an English team he should only use one (or neither) or them. Note that I'm happy to play for Arsenal might simply mean I would be happy to play for them (if they asked me! :)
    – FumbleFingers
    Feb 14, 2018 at 18:14
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    Any evidence that "so very" is more common among learners. It seems a normal enough sounding expression to me.
    – James K
    Feb 14, 2018 at 20:59

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There is little difference in meaning between the two sentences.

"I'm happy to play for Madrid" and "I'm happy to be playing for Madrid"

Both could be used by a player who currently is in Madrid.

The first could also be used to mean "I would be happy to play for Madrid (if asked)" The context would make it clear which meaning is correct.

The second suggests that the player is already playing for Madrid (They are at least in the team, though not actually on the pitch.)

In the exact context you give, you could use either as the player is just starting in the team, they might think that they haven't started playing yet (I'm happy to play) or they might feel that they are already part of the squad (I'm happy to be playing). Both OK.

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This is a continuous tense (be + -ing) versus a to + infinitive issue.

"To be playing" and "to play" are two ways to say the same thing. Neither is wrong. But "to be playing" sounds more colloquial than "to play."

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