French-Cameroonian Kylian Mbappé reveals cutting off friends and how football nearly ‘disgusted’ him

Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappé has opened up about the darker side of life at the top of professional football, revealing the sacrifices he has made and his growing disillusionment with the sport.

Speaking to L’Équipe after helping France secure a World Cup qualifying win over Iceland, the 25-year-old described the relentless demands and personal compromises that come with being an elite player.

Born to a Cameroonian father and an Algerian mother, Mbappé has long been a symbol of France’s multicultural identity.

Yet, in his candid interview, he spoke less about his meteoric rise and more about the pressures of sustaining it.

“Do I have the right to fail? No. But that’s also why people respect you so much. Because you accept all this, you’re resilient, and you always want to win,” he said, stressing the high expectations that accompany his career.

Mbappé admitted that his success has forced him to distance himself from some friends and family.

“There are people who don’t see that your life is changing; they want to preserve the image of when you were a child, when you were with them… But you’re no longer the same. You have responsibilities, commitments, a job, and accounts to pay,” he explained.

He added that money and fame have not insulated him from difficulties: “Can it destroy everything? Yes, it can… Sometimes it doesn’t work out, and you have to have the courage to say so.”

Despite his frustrations with the sport, Mbappé stressed he remains passionate about the game.

“I’m fatalistic about the world of football, but not about life. Life is wonderful… Honestly, if I didn’t have this passion, the world of football would have disgusted me a long time ago.”