Paris Saint-Germain must pay Kylian Mbappe US$70M in dispute over unpaid wages: court

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, left, speaks to PSG's Kylian Mbappe as it is announced he has signed a three year extension to his contract, at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, May 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, File) (Michel Spingler)

A Paris labour court ruled Paris Saint-Germain must pay more than 60 million euros (US$70 million) to Kylian Mbappe in a dispute over unpaid wages and bonuses linked to the end of the France superstar’s contract in 2024.

Lawyers argued last month before the Conseil de prud’hommes de Paris in a judicial fight involving colossal sums. On Tuesday, the court sided with Mbappe amid accusations of betrayal and harassment in the breakdown of his relationship with PSG.

The award roughly corresponds to Mbappe’s initial claim of 55 million euros.

In November, his lawyers claimed that PSG owed him more than 260 million euros, arguing that his fixed-term contract should be reclassified as a permanent one -- a move rejected by the judges. Such a reclassification could have triggered compensation for unfair dismissal, unpaid wages, bonuses, and severance.

PSG sought 440 million euros from Mbappe, citing damages and a “loss of opportunity” after he left on a free transfer. There was no immediate comment from the European champion.

Mbappe’s representatives said the ruling, which can be appealed, “confirms that commitments must be honored. It restores a simple truth: Even in the professional football industry labor law applies to everyone.”

The relationship between the 2018 World Cup winner and the reigning European champion turned bitter when Mbappe decided in 2023 not to extend his contract, which was set to expire in summer 2024.

This deprived the club of a juicy transfer fee despite having offered him the most lucrative contract in club history when he signed a new deal in 2022. He was sidelined from a preseason tour and forced to train with fringe players.

He missed the opening league game but returned to the lineup for a final season after discussions with the club -- talks that are central to the dispute.

A lingering feud

The club accused Mbappe of backing out of an August 2023 agreement that allegedly included a pay reduction should he leave on a free transfer, an arrangement PSG said was meant to protect its financial stability. PSG claimed Mbappe hid his decision not to extend his contract for nearly 11 months, from July 2022 to June 2023, preventing the club from arranging a transfer and causing major financial harm. It accused him of violating contractual obligations and the principles of good faith and loyalty.

Mbappe’s camp insisted PSG has never produced evidence that the striker agreed to forego any payment. His lawyers claimed the club failed to pay wages and bonuses for April, May, and June 2024.

“Mbappe scrupulously fulfilled his sporting and contractual obligations for seven years and right up to the final day,” his advisers said on Tuesday. “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.”

PSG rejected all accusations of harassment, highlighting that Mbappe took part in over 94 per cent of matches in 2023-24 and always worked under conditions compliant with the Professional Football Charter. The club’s claims included 180 million euros for the lost opportunity to transfer Mbappe, who left as a free agent after turning down a 300 million euros offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal in July 2023.

Mbappe joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 on a free transfer after scoring a club-record 256 goals in seven years at PSG, which won the Champions League this year without him.

By Samuel Petrequin