Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has been ordered by the French league’s legal commission to pay Kylian Mbappé €55 million ($61 million) in unpaid wages, marking a significant ruling in the ongoing dispute between the star forward and his former club. The decision was confirmed by the league on Thursday, though specific details of the ruling were not disclosed.
The legal dispute centers on Mbappé’s claim that PSG failed to pay him three months’ salary and a significant portion of a loyalty bonus. This comes after Mbappé left PSG this summer to join Real Madrid on a free transfer, ending a tumultuous relationship with the Parisian club. The ruling follows a failed mediation attempt between PSG and Mbappé’s representatives, prompting the legal commission to step in and enforce the payment.
PSG, however, is not backing down. In a statement following the commission’s decision, the club made it clear that they intend to contest the ruling. “The matter must now be contested in another legal forum, to which Paris Saint-Germain is delighted to present all the facts over the coming months and year,” PSG said. The club argues that they do not owe Mbappé the money due to an agreement reached when he was sidelined from the squad ahead of the 2023-24 season. PSG claims that as part of that arrangement, Mbappé had agreed to forgo certain bonuses as part of his reintegration into the team.
The breakdown in relations between Mbappé and PSG has been well-publicized. Despite being offered the most lucrative contract in the club’s history in 2022, tensions flared when Mbappé became frustrated with unfulfilled promises regarding the signing of key players. Although his contract extension appeared to be set until 2025, it later emerged that it was only valid through 2024, with an option for an extra year. This contractual ambiguity contributed to the growing rift between the player and the club.
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In June 2023, Mbappé shocked PSG by announcing that he would not exercise the option to extend his contract, effectively putting him in the final year of his deal. This left PSG in a difficult position: either sell Mbappé or risk losing him for free when his contract expired in 2024. During this time, PSG sidelined the French striker, excluding him from their preseason tour of Japan and South Korea and making him train with the team’s fringe players.
The tension reached a peak when PSG initially left Mbappé out of their opening league match of the 2023-24 season. However, after what PSG described as “constructive and positive talks,” the forward was eventually reintegrated into the team’s lineup.
Mbappé’s future took another twist when he rejected a €300 million offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, signaling his intention to play out the remainder of his contract. This decision deepened the standoff with PSG, but he remained with the club until his eventual free transfer to Real Madrid.
As both sides prepare for the next stage of the legal battle, PSG remains firm in their stance. The club contends that Mbappé had made “clear, repeated public and private commitments” regarding his bonuses and salary, and they expect these to be honored in court. Meanwhile, Mbappé is focused on his new chapter at Real Madrid, though this latest legal victory reinforces his position in the high-stakes dispute.
The saga between Mbappé and PSG serves as a reminder of the complexities of player contracts in modern football, particularly when dealing with superstars of Mbappé’s caliber. Both sides are likely to present their full case in the coming months, with the legal battle far from over.
