Kylian Mbappé has launched legal proceedings against his former club Paris Saint-Germain over €55 million in allegedly unpaid wages and bonuses, intensifying a financial feud that is now poised to unfold in courtrooms and football governing bodies.
Now a Real Madrid player, Mbappé is demanding payment for the final three months of his contract with the French champions, covering April, May, and June 2024, as well as the last installment of his signing bonus.
According to his legal representatives, this includes €18.75 million in unpaid salary and €36.66 million gross from the bonus.
In total, the figure amounts to €55.41 million.
Following PSG’s refusal to disburse the sum, Mbappé’s lawyers obtained a court order authorising a precautionary seizure of the contested amount from the club’s accounts.
The Paris judicial court granted the request as the matter now progresses toward the French industrial tribunal, which has jurisdiction over disputes between employers and employees.
The forward has also joined a wider legal complaint spearheaded by the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP), which is challenging the controversial practice of placing players in isolated training groups, known as “lofts.” Mbappé claims he was subjected to this tactic during the summer of 2023 after declining to extend his contract, a decision that ultimately led to his free transfer to Madrid.
PSG, however, disputes any financial obligation to its former captain.
Club officials argue that an oral agreement reached in August 2023 released them from further payment obligations, with both parties allegedly agreeing to offset the unpaid sums against the club’s inability to recoup a transfer fee.
“Mbappé is not going to win,” PSG insiders have said, signalling their readiness to contest the matter in labour court.
The issue has already passed through the hands of domestic sporting bodies.
Both the legal and appeals committees of the Professional Football League ruled in favour of Mbappé in late 2024, ordering PSG to settle the amounts owed.
However, PSG challenged those rulings in the Paris judicial court, effectively halting enforcement.
The League and the French Football Federation subsequently declared themselves without jurisdiction.
An initial hearing is slated for 26 May 2025, with a full hearing to follow in the coming months.
In a further escalation, Mbappé has formally requested that the French Football Federation notify UEFA of the unresolved debt.
If validated, the outstanding payment could jeopardise PSG’s eligibility for a UEFA licence, potentially threatening their participation in European competitions next season.
