Neither Kylian Mbappé or his former club Paris Saint-Germain are ready to retire as the legal dispute reaches its climax – with huge sums at stake.
Lawyers for both sides argued on Monday at an industrial court in Paris, each demanding hundreds of millions of euros from the other as they tried to settle scores over the end of the player’s contract before he left for Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.
Amid allegations of bullying, cheating and harassment surrounding their breakup, here’s what you need to know about the $800 million case.
The origin of the dispute
Once a love story, the relationship between the 2018 World Cup and the reigning European champions turned sour when Mbappé decided in 2023 not to extend his contract, which was set to expire in the summer of 2024.
PSG say this has deprived the club of a juicy transfer fee despite offering him the most lucrative contract in the club’s history when he signed a new deal in 2022. He was sidelined in pre-season and forced to train with fringe players. He missed the league opener but returned to the squad for last season after talks with the club – talks which are now central to the dispute.
PSG feel betrayed
The club accuse Mbappé of reneging on a deal in August 2023 that was said to include a pay cut if he ends up on a free sale, an arrangement PSG says was intended to protect its financial stability.
PSG claim that Mbappé hid his decision not to extend his contract for almost 11 months, from July 2022 to June 2023, which prevented the club from organizing a transfer and caused major financial damage. There he is accused of violating contractual obligations and principles of good faith and loyalty.
Mbappé feels cheated and wants his money
Mbappé’s camp claim that PSG never provided evidence that the striker agreed to waive payment. His lawyers claim the club failed to pay wages and bonuses for April, May and June 2024. They also want to reclassify his temporary contract into a permanent one, which would trigger damages. Mbappé also accuses PSG of moral harassment, citing his treatment when he was sidelined. His total claim now exceeds €260 million, but consists of unpaid wages, contractual bonuses, severance pay, compensation and damages for workplace misconduct.
PSG want more
The club rejects all allegations of harassment and emphasizes that Mbappé took part in over 94% of matches in 2023-2024 and always operated in conditions in accordance with the contract of professional football.
PSG are seeking a total of €440 million in damages, including €180 million for the lost opportunity to complete Mbappé’s transfer since he left as a free agent after rejecting a €300 million bid from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal in July 2023.
Mbappé joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 on a free transfer after scoring a club-record 256 goals in seven years at PSG, who won the Champions League this year without him.
The company wants an additional 180 million euros for damages caused by dishonesty in negotiations. PSG is also demanding 60 million euros for breach of good faith and proper performance of the contract. In addition, PSG is asking for 20 million euros for reputational and image damage.
What’s next?
The decision of the court – Conseil de prud’hommes de Paris – is expected on December 16.
The ruling could affect player contracts and labor laws in French football, although PSG have argued that Mbappé’s request to reclassify his contract as open-ended has no legal basis.
“Professional players’ contracts are specific temporary contracts, governed by the Sports Code and approved by the French Professional League, in accordance with French and European law,” the club said.
Mbappé’s advisers disagreed: “The reclassification of a fixed-term contract (CDD) into an open-ended contract is a standard procedure under the Labor Code when the legal conditions for a CDD are not met,” they said.