PARIS (MNN); A Paris labour court on Tuesday directed Paris Saint-Germain to pay football star Kylian Mbappe 60 million euros in unpaid wages and bonuses, marking a partial conclusion to one of the most bitter legal battles in French football.
The decision came after months of litigation initiated by the French international, who accused PSG of withholding his salary and bonuses for April, May and June 2024, shortly before his departure from the Ligue 1 club to Real Madrid on a free transfer.
Mbappe’s lawyer, Frederique Casserreau, welcomed the ruling, saying it was a predictable outcome given that salaries had not been paid. The court ruled that PSG failed to pay three months’ salary, along with an ethics bonus and a signing bonus stipulated in Mbappe’s contract.
The judges noted that these payments had already been recognised as due under two rulings by the French Professional Football League (LFP) in September and October 2024. They added that PSG could not present any written proof showing Mbappe had waived his right to receive the amounts.
However, the court rejected several additional claims filed by Mbappe, including accusations of concealed work, moral harassment and breach of the employer’s duty of safety. It also dismissed PSG’s argument that the player should lose his unpaid wages entirely.
The judges further ruled that Mbappe’s fixed-term contract could not be treated as a permanent one, limiting the compensation PSG might otherwise have faced for dismissal-related claims.
In a statement, Mbappe’s legal team said the verdict reaffirmed that contractual commitments must be respected and that labour laws apply equally, even in professional football. They stressed that Mbappe fulfilled all his sporting and contractual obligations during his seven years at the club.
PSG had argued that Mbappe acted disloyally by not disclosing his intention to leave, depriving the club of a potential transfer fee similar to the 180 million euros it paid AS Monaco to sign him in 2017. Mbappe’s representatives countered that the case was strictly about unpaid remuneration under French labour law.
In response, PSG said it had taken note of the ruling and would comply with it, while reserving the right to appeal. The club added that it had acted in good faith and wished Mbappe success in the rest of his career.
