Paris Saint-Germain ordered to pay Kylian Mbappé 60 million euros

The bitter dispute between Kylian Mbappé and his former club Paris Saint-Germain over unpaid wages and bonuses has been decided in the France international’s favour.

A labour court in Paris has ruled that the European champions must pay Mbappé more than €60m (£52.5m) in unpaid wages and bonuses relating to the final months of his contract.

The decision draws a line under an acrimonious dispute between player and club over the circumstances of the 26-year-old World Cup winner’s departure for Real Madrid in June of last year.

How Kylian Mbappé claimed £231m in PSG dispute

In a hearing at the conseil de prud’hommes last month, lawyers for Mbappé pressed a £231m claim for three months of unpaid wages, as well as ethics and signing bonuses allegedly due under his contract.

PSG responded with a €440m counter-claim for damages, claiming a breach of contract that meant the club missed the opportunity to recoup the £165.7m fee they paid to acquire Mbappé from Monaco in August 2017.

Despite the £178.5m shortfall between her client’s claim and the amount awarded, Mbappé’s lawyer Frédérique Cassereau hailed the outcome as a victory. 

Mbappé lawyer: ‘We are satisfied with this ruling’

“We are satisfied with this ruling,” she said. “This is what you could expect when salaries went unpaid.”

Representatives for Mbappé, who has been in outstanding form for Real Madrid this season, added that the ruling “confirms that commitments must be honoured. It restores a simple truth: even in the professional football industry labour law applies to everyone.” 

There was no immediate comment on the decision from PSG, who could lodge an appeal against the court’s ruling.

The background to the Mbappé-PSG dispute

Relations between Mbappé and his former employer first began to sour in the summer of 2023, when it became apparent he did not intend to exercise the option of a one-year contract extension that would have kept him at the club beyond the following summer. 

PSG subsequently attempted to sell the Frenchman to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal for a world record fee of £259m, but Mbappé declined to enter negotiations over a transfer.

He was briefly frozen out by the Ligue 1 club before being readmitted to the fold, with PSG claiming an agreement was struck in which the forward agreed to a salary reduction in the event that he should leave on a free transfer. The following summer, Mbappé did just that.

However, lawyers for the striker claimed he never agreed to a wage reduction, citing PSG’s failure to supply written evidence supporting claims that he was guilty of violating  contractual obligations.

“Mbappé scrupulously fulfilled his sporting and contractual obligations for seven years and right up to the final day,” said his legal team.

“He did everything possible to avoid litigation, even going so far as to withdraw a harassment complaint in a spirit of conciliation. In total, he had been seeking payment of his salaries and bonuses for more than 18 months.”