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After months of rumors and speculation, French soccer star Kylian Mbappé announced Friday that he is leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the conclusion of the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season.
In a video posted on X, Mbappé said he will not extend his contract beyond this season and that he will play his final home match for PSG against Toulouse on Sunday:
It was first reported last summer that Mbappé would likely leave PSG at the end of the season and join Real Madrid. In February, BBC Sport’s Guillem Balague reported that while Mbappé hadn’t yet officially signed with Real Madrid, he agreed to a five-year deal with the club that would pay him €15 million ($16 million) per season and a €150 million ($161 million) signing bonus.
Mbappé, 25, has spent the past seven seasons at PSG after making the leap from AS Monaco during the 2017-18 season.
This season, Mbappé has scored 26 goals in 28 Ligue 1 matches, marking his fourth consecutive season with between 26 and 29 goals in league play.
He also has 43 goals in 46 matches across all competitions this season, marking a new career high and his third 40-goal season in the past four years.
With Mbappé leading the way, PSG are first in the Ligue 1 standings with 70 points this season, putting them nine ahead of second-place Monaco.
They have already clinched their sixth Ligue 1 title during Mbappé’s tenure, plus they finished as the UEFA Champions League runner-up in 2020.
On top of that, Mbappé has been a force internationally for France, earning the distinction of best young player at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which France won. He also won the Golden Boot and Silver Ball at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which saw France finish as the runner-up to Argentina.
With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo nearing the twilight of their respective careers, there is a strong case to be made for Mbappé being the best player in the world currently.
He will represent a massive loss for PSG, but if he goes to Real Madrid, he will be a huge addition for a Los Blancos club that has dominated La Liga this season with 87 points via 27 wins, six draws and only one loss. The club also advanced to the Champions League final after rallying to beat Bayern Munich.