PSG told to pay Mbappe £52m after court rules on bitter contract row
Paris St-Germain have been ordered to pay Kylian Mbappe 60m euros (£52.5m) after a French court ruled the club failed to honour parts of his contract during his final months in Paris.
The long-running saga finally reached a verdict in a Paris labour court on Tuesday, with Mbappe winning a fraction of the 263m euros he had originally claimed. PSG, meanwhile, had been counter-suing their former star for 240m euros, arguing the club suffered major losses following his exit.
The court found PSG had failed to pay three months of Mbappe’s salary between April and June 2024, along with an ethics bonus and part of a signing-on fee. Most of the award relates to bonuses rather than wages, but it still represents a sizeable hit for the European champions.
“We are satisfied with this ruling,” said Mbappe’s lawyer Frederique Cassereau. “This is what you expect when salaries went unpaid.” His legal team added that the decision was a reminder that labour law applies to football clubs too, even ones backed by vast wealth.
PSG said they would comply with the judgement, though they has not ruled out an appeal. The club had earlier frozen 55m euros in its accounts after Mbappe’s lawyers made a request in May, which hinted this outcome had been coming for some time.
The dispute dates back more than two years, sparked by Mbappe’s refusal to sign a contract extension or accept a proposed move to Saudi side Al-Hilal in 2023. PSG accused him of acting disloyally, while the player claimed he was sidelined and treated unfairly after making clear he would leave on a free.
Mbappe missed PSG’s pre-season tour of Asia and the opening game of the 2023-24 campaign before being reinstated. PSG insisted he had agreed to waive certain payments for the good of the club, a claim his representatives later dismissed as “fantasy” in court.
Despite the legal mess, Mbappe’s legacy in Paris is undeniable. He scored 256 goals in 308 games, won 15 trophies and finished as the club’s all-time top scorer, netting 44 times in his final season alone before heading to Real Madrid.
The ruling marks a major milestone in one of football’s ugliest contract battles. PSG must now display the full judgement on their website for a month, while both sides appear keen to finally draw a line under it. On the pitch, PSG have moved on without their former talisman — off it, the fallout is still being counted.