In a landmark legal ruling with significant implications for European football, Paris Saint-Germain has been mandated by a French labor court to compensate former star striker Kylian Mbappé with €60 million (£52.5 million) in unpaid salary and contractual bonuses. The decision concludes a highly publicized financial dispute between the French champions and their former captain, though it represents merely a fraction of the original €263 million (£231.5 million) claim pursued by the player.
The legal confrontation, which reached the Paris labor tribunal in November, saw both parties leveling substantial financial claims against each other. Mbappé’s legal team argued that the club had failed to fulfill its contractual obligations, specifically citing three months of unpaid wages between April and June 2024, along with unpaid ethics and signing bonuses. The 26-year-old Real Madrid forward additionally sought damages for alleged ill-treatment during contract negotiations.
Conversely, PSG mounted a counterclaim seeking €240 million (£211 million) in compensation, primarily referencing Mbappé’s failed €300 million transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal in 2023. The collapse of this potentially record-breaking transfer preceded Mbappé’s subsequent move to Spanish giants Real Madrid on a free transfer the following summer, a development that evidently fueled the club’s financial grievances.
While the court acknowledged PSG’s failure to meet certain salary payments, it dismissed the majority of both the player’s damage claims and the club’s counterclaim. Mbappé’s legal representative, Frédérique Cassereau, expressed satisfaction with the verdict, stating, ‘We are satisfied with this ruling. This is what you could expect when salaries went unpaid.’
The ruling underscores the complex financial and contractual dynamics governing top-tier football transfers and highlights the increasing willingness of players to pursue legal avenues against powerful clubs. This case sets a notable precedent for labor disputes within professional sports organizations across Europe.