Football superstar Kylian Mbappé’s pursuit of €55 million ($57.7 million) in disputed bonuses from Paris Saint-Germain hit a major obstacle on Wednesday after French the sport’s governing body declared his claim inadmissible.
The Professional Football League’s (LFP) Disciplinary Committee rejected the former PSG forward’s appeal, effectively moving the dispute away from sporting authorities and towards the French labour courts.
PSG welcomed the ruling with a forceful statement emphasising that the dispute was “fundamentally a question of good faith, honesty, upholding the values and respect of the Paris institution and its supporters, which is more important than any player.”
The conflict centres on a contentious agreement from August 2023, when Mbappé was temporarily exiled from the first team for refusing to extend his contract. According to PSG, the World Cup winner agreed to forfeit €55 million ($57.7 million) in bonuses if he left on a free transfer – a commitment they claim “was confirmed several times by the player, in particular in January 2024, before he decided once the season was over to go back on all his commitments.”
However, Mbappé’s camp has challenged the validity of what they term a “clandestine agreement,” demanding payment of various entitlements including a €36 million ($37.8 million) signing bonus installment and three months of outstanding salary.
The club pointed to their long-standing relationship with the player, noting he had “benefited from unprecedented advantages on the part of the Club for 7 years in Paris.” PSG expressed frustration at the player’s rejection of mediation efforts, revealing that the LFP’s Legal Committee had “repeatedly insisted on the need for mediation” to find a compromise.
“If the player unfortunately persists in failing to honour his commitments… the Club is prepared to fully expose the situation before the competent court,” PSG declared, whilst maintaining hope for “an amicable solution.”
The case has cast a shadow over French football, with PSG pointedly noting that the dispute is “incomprehensible and damaging, both for himself [Mbappé] and for French football”.
The matter is now expected to proceed to the Conseil des Prud’hommes, France’s labour tribunal, where PSG appears ready to wage a robust defence of their position in what promises to be a landmark case for football contract law.
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