Kylian Mbappe’s long-simmering breakup with Paris Saint-Germain erupted into a full-scale legal war on Monday as both sides marched into a Paris labor court demanding hundreds of millions of euros in damages, unpaid wages and compensation – a staggering clash between one of world football’s biggest stars and one of its richest clubs.
The industrial tribunal heard arguments in a dispute that has festered since Mbappe refused to extend his contract in 2023, a decision that sent shockwaves through PSG, reshaped the club’s future and ultimately paved his free transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.
The breakdown poisoned a once-glowing relationship and now sits at the center of an unprecedented financial and legal showdown.
Mbappe, who did not attend the hearing, has dramatically increased his claim against his former employer.
After previously seeking 55 million euros ($63.7 million) in unpaid wages and bonuses, he now argues PSG owes him more than 260 million euros, saying his fixed-term contract should legally be reclassified as a permanent one – a change that would unlock severance, indemnities, bonus payments and compensation for what his camp calls unfair dismissal and workplace misconduct.
His lawyers accuse PSG of moral harassment, citing the period he was isolated from the squad in 2023, a practice in France known as “lofting.”
“Kylian Mbappe is not asking for anything beyond what the law provides,” his advisers said. “He is simply seeking the enforcement of his rights.”
PSG responded with fire of its own, demanding 440 million euros in damages.
The club says Mbappe deprived it of the chance to command a massive transfer fee by hiding for nearly 11 months that he would not renew and ultimately leaving as a free agent.
PSG argues he reneged on a 2023 agreement to reduce pay if he departed for free and claims disloyalty, breach of good faith and significant reputational harm.
Another 180 million euros is tied to what the club calls a “lost opportunity” to sell him, including after he declined a 300 million euro offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal.
The acrimony traces back to Mbappe’s stunning 2023 decision not to activate an additional contract year.
Convinced they would lose him for nothing, PSG banished the striker from a preseason tour and forced him to train with fringe players.
He eventually returned to the lineup after talks, but the trust had already collapsed inside a club that had invested the highest salary package in its history to keep him.
Mbappe’s camp says PSG has presented no proof that he agreed to surrender bonuses, while insisting the club failed to pay his wages for April, May and June 2024.
PSG flatly denies accusations of pressure or harassment, noting he played in more than 94% of matches under a coach who later won the Champions League.
After scoring a club-record 256 goals and winning every domestic trophy, Mbappe walked away in 2024 to join Real Madrid – the very outcome PSG had feared.
The Paris labor court, the Conseil de prud’hommes, will rule on Dec. 16 in a case that could reshape how French football handles fixed-term contracts.
PSG maintains Mbappe’s request to reclassify his deal has no legal basis, arguing professional player contracts are governed by the sports code and approved by the league.
Mbappe’s advisers disagree sharply: “Reclassification is a standard procedure under French labor law when the conditions for a fixed-term contract are not met.”
