Kylian Mbappé confirmed what many soccer fans had been expecting for a while. He announced on Friday that he’s leaving Paris Saint-Germain, with a move to Real Madrid looking likely.
Mbappé said he’ll play his final home game for PSG against Toulouse on Sunday. “It’s tougher than I thought to leave my country,” he said in a video. “After seven years, I feel it’s time for a new challenge.”
Mbappé, visibly moved, spoke directly to PSG fans. “This club will always hold a special place in my heart,” he said. “I’ll never forget the chance to play here.”
Reportedly, Mbappé met with PSG ultras, known as CUP, after his announcement to discuss tributes for his last game at Parc des Princes on Sunday. After that, PSG has more league games at Nice and Metz. Mbappé is currently the top scorer in the French league with 26 goals.
Mbappé joined PSG in 2017 from Monaco for a huge sum of 180 million euros ($194 million). It’s expected that Real Madrid, a 14-time Champions League winner, will buy him.
Last year, PSG rejected a 180 million euro bid from Madrid for Mbappé. He extended his contract with PSG but chose not to add another year. Earlier this year, he told PSG he was leaving at the season’s end. On Friday, he confirmed it.
“I want to let you know that this is my last season with Paris Saint-Germain. I won’t be renewing my contract, and my time here will end in a few weeks,” he said. “Firstly, I want to thank all my teammates, past and present, and all my coaches: Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Christophe Galtier, and Luis Enrique.”
He scored 255 goals for PSG, many with his signature move: sprinting down the left wing, cutting inside past defenders, and curling the ball into the right corner with speed and accuracy.
While he helped PSG win six league titles in seven years, his talent sometimes hid the team’s weaknesses, especially in the Champions League.
On Tuesday night, he left the field disappointed as PSG got knocked out of the Champions League semifinals by losing to Borussia Dortmund 1-0 in both matches. Mbappé’s departure marks the end of an era for PSG’s star players.
He joined the team alongside Neymar, whose transfer set a new world record at 222 million euros ($239 million). PSG also saw players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic (who scored 156 goals), Edinson Cavani (with 200 goals for PSG), and Lionel Messi (who won his seventh Ballon d’Or out of eight).
Despite spending over 2 billion euros ($2.15 billion) on transfers and high wages, PSG couldn’t clinch the Champions League title. Mbappé playing under several coaches highlights the club’s tendency to change coaches frequently under its wealthy Qatari owner QSI, who took over in June 2011.
Mbappé rose to fame as an 18-year-old sensation with Monaco when they reached the Champions League semifinals seven years ago. PSG outbid Madrid to sign him then, but now he’ll leave as a free agent.
When Madrid likely signs him, they may have secured their 15th Champions League title, extending their record. Madrid faces Dortmund in the final on June 1 at Wembley, just one week after Mbappé’s final game for PSG in the French Cup final against Lyon.
It’s not the farewell he hoped for from French club soccer. However, joining a big club like Madrid increases his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, a goal he’s eager to achieve.
