A French court has ruled that Paris St-Germain must pay Kylian Mbappe 60 million euros (£52.5m) in unpaid salary and bonuses, ending part of a long-running dispute between the club and the star forward.
Mbappe had initially demanded 263 million euros (£231.5m) from PSG, claiming damages over a contract dispute and alleged mistreatment, while the European champions counter-sued for 240 million euros (£211m).
On Tuesday, the Paris labour court awarded the 26-year-old Real Madrid player just over a fifth of the amount he sought.
The court found that PSG had failed to pay three months of Mbappe’s salary between April and June 2024, along with an ethics bonus and a signing bonus under his contract. Most of the money awarded to the player comes from these bonuses rather than his base salary.
Earlier this year, in May, Mbappe’s legal team had requested the freezing of 55 million euros from the club’s accounts.
"We are satisfied with this ruling. This is what you could expect when salaries went unpaid," said Mbappe’s lawyer, Frederique Cassereau. His legal team also released a statement saying: "This judgement confirms that commitments entered into must be honoured. It restores a simple truth: even in the professional football industry, labour law applies to everyone. Mbappe, for his part, scrupulously respected his sporting and contractual obligations for seven years, right up to the final day."
PSG has accepted the court’s ruling but has not ruled out appealing the decision.
The club had also sought compensation related to Mbappe’s failed 300 million euro transfer to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal in 2023, before he joined Real Madrid on a free transfer the following summer.
The club said in a statement: "Paris St-Germain takes note of the judgement pronounced by the Paris Labour Court, which it will execute, while reserving the right to appeal. Paris St-Germain has always acted in good faith and with integrity, and will continue to do so. The club is now looking to the future, based on unity and collective success, and wishes the player the best for the rest of his career."
The dispute began after Mbappe refused to extend his contract and rejected a move to the Saudi Pro League, leading to tensions that lasted over two years. PSG said he was sidelined, including being left out of the pre-season tour of Asia and the first match of the 2023-24 season.
He was later reinstated after PSG claimed he agreed to forgo part of his end-of-contract payments to help the club financially, a claim his representatives rejected at the November hearing as "fantasy."
PSG also accused Mbappe of acting "disloyally by concealing for nearly 11 months, between July 2022 and June 2023, his decision not to extend his contract," saying the club suffered "significant damages" as a result.
Mbappe joined PSG in 2017, initially on loan from Monaco before making the move permanent. During his seven years in Paris, he won 15 trophies and became the club’s all-time leading scorer with 256 goals in 308 games, including 44 goals in 48 matches in his final season.
