For now, the Paris Saint-Germain striker is thinking first and foremost about getting through this season with his club and the Euros this summer. After a particularly disappointing tournament in 2021, losing to Switzerland in the Round of 16, the French team is eager to do better. “We’re one of the most eagerly awaited teams at this tournament and we’re ready and confident. We did very well qualifying and now our objective is to win,” Mbappé continues. “We’ve lost some great champions this year, some extremely important players like Hugo [Lloris] and Raphaël [Varane], but in the end the group hasn’t been affected. That demonstrates some real cohesion and an ability to adapt.”
There’s also the question of the Olympics, which this summer is hosted in Mbappé’s home city of Paris. Mbappé would love to take part, and take home an Olympic medal, but he knows the choice is not his alone. “I’ve reached a stage in my life and my career where I don’t want to force things anymore. If I’m asked, I’d love to go, but if that’s not possible, I’ll understand,” Mbappé says. “For every athlete, the Olympics hold a special place. I already wanted to go to Tokyo [in 2020] because I want to win everything and write my name in the history of the French team as a player who mattered.”
Mbappé intends to write his own story off the pitch too. He is aware of his outsized influence—other than Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, there are no players under the age of 26 with a bigger profile than he has—and wants to use it to serve his values, not just the interests of big brands. He has never hesitated to speak out on social issues, denouncing racism in the stands and on social media, and challenging the football industry for exploiting the image rights of players. Mbappé went as far as boycotting two events with sponsors of Les Bleus in early 2022—being associated with a fast-food chain or a sports betting operator was inconsistent with Mbappé’s plans for himself. The tug-of-war with the French Football Federation culminated in September 2022, when the federation said it would review an agreement that, until then, had obliged national team players to take part in commercial initiatives without offering them an opt-out.
Like many other athletes that he admires, Mbappé is also focused on giving back. In 2020, he launched Inspired by KM, a foundation that supports 98 young people in the Paris region, enabling them to take part in cultural events and leisure activities with the aim of opening their minds to new opportunities. “I’ve always been brought up to pay it forward and share my good fortune. Talent was key to getting where I am today, but I was also helped by being lucky enough to meet the right people at the right time,” he says. “Now that I’m in a position to pass it on, I want to help the next generation as best I can.”
Mbappé cites the example of LeBron James, whom he met in the US during a Nike campaign a few years ago. “He is much farther along in his career than I am and projects outside of sport have cemented his place as a sporting legend. Being able to ask for advice from inspiring figures like him provides an opportunity to adjust my plan and create my own approach that is as effective as possible in terms of helping young people today,” he explains enthusiastically.
The one thing Mbappé won’t talk about yet is his future. His contract with Paris Saint-Germain ends in June, and after seven seasons of titles and records, as well as tensions and frustrations, the striker will once again be faced with a dilemma: Whether to persist in building a team around him to lead PSG to its first-ever Champions League win and thus etch his name permanently in the golden book of French football, or chart his own course by joining another league and shining elsewhere. He has, for several years, been linked with Real Madrid; this last summer, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal reportedly offered him one of the most lucrative athletic contracts in history. (Mbappé declined.)
It seems that whatever decision he makes, it will be based on more than money. He doesn’t think often about individual records; despite his feats, Mbappe has still never won the Ballon d’Or. Mbappé is more driven to win the Champions League for his team, just as he devotes his energy to finding ways to continue his growth as a player rather than listening to criticism from the media or speculation over his future. “We’re in an age of over-consumption, where people expect a lot from players,” he explains. But the bars he sets for himself are far higher than those placed by anyone else. “I’ve shown that pressure doesn’t affect me negatively, and I’d even say that I need it to perform my best. Pressure allows me to maintain the degree of excellence required to play at the highest level.”
Translated from French by John Newton.
Photographs by Malick Bodian
Styled by Stella Greenspan
