French footballer Kylian Mbappé said on Friday that he will be formally leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the 2023–24 Ligue 1 season, capping months of rumors and conjecture.
Mbappé announced on X that he will not be extending his contract past this season and that Sunday’s game against Toulouse will be his last at home for PSG.
The idea that Mbappé would probably join Real Madrid at the end of the season and leave PSG was initially floated last summer. Although Mbappé had not yet formally signed with Real Madrid, Guillem Balague of BBC Sport revealed in February that he had consented to a five-year contract worth €150 million ($161 million) and €15 million ($16 million) every season.
Kylian Mbappé, 25, has spent the past seven seasons at PSG after making the leap from AS Monaco during the 2017-18 season.
This season, Mbappé has scored 26 goals in 28 Ligue 1 matches, marking his fourth consecutive season with between 26 and 29 goals in league play.
Kylian Mbappé also has 43 goals in 46 matches across all competitions this season, marking a new career high and his third 40-goal season in the past four years.
With Mbappé leading the way, PSG are first in the Ligue 1 standings with 70 points this season, putting them nine ahead of second-place Monaco.
They have already clinched their sixth Ligue 1 title during Mbappé’s tenure, plus they finished as the UEFA Champions League runner-up in 2020.
On top of that, Mbappé has been a force internationally for France, earning the distinction of best young player at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which France won. He also won the Golden Boot and Silver Ball at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which saw France finish as the runner-up to Argentina.
With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo nearing the twilight of their respective careers, there is a strong case to be made for Mbappé being the best player in the world currently.
Kylian Mbappé will represent a massive loss for PSG, but if he goes to Real Madrid, he will be a huge addition for a Los Blancos club that has dominated La Liga this season with 87 points via 27 wins, six draws and only one loss. The club also advanced to the Champions League final after rallying to beat Bayern Munich.
