After leaving Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer of 2024, Kylian Mbappé has continued to be embroiled in a legal battle with his former club regarding unpaid wages. On 16 December 2025, this battle reached a provisional conclusion with the player partially successful in his claims as PSG was ordered to pay Mbappé €60m in compensation by a Paris labour court.
After leaving Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer of 2024, Kylian Mbappé has continued to be embroiled in a legal battle with his former club regarding unpaid wages.
The Frenchman and his former club experienced a fractured relationship for most of the 2023-24 season, and some months preceding it, as Mbappé was ejected from the first team squad amid press reports of contract negotiations, and a later proposed transfer to the Saudi Pro League, both breaking down. Mbappé was excluded from PSG’s 2023 pre-season tour of Asia and missed the first game of that season before later being recalled to the first team.
A key component of their issues involved the player’s new contract agreed at the end of the previous season. It was announced in May 2022 that Mbappé had signed a new three-year contract with PSG. However, in reality, this was a two-year deal with the option of extending for a further year. A letter from Mbappé later emerged indicating that the player had no intention of exercising that extension option. According to PSG, this letter was received on 12 June 2023 but backdated to 15 July 2022, just two months after Mbappé signed his contract extension.
As a result of the frayed relations between the player and club, Mbappé filed a complaint in June 2023 regarding mistreatment and moral harassment by PSG before filing a formal claim with a Paris labour court (Conseil de prud’hommes). On 10 April 2025, Mbappé’s legal representatives obtained a court order to freeze €50m including tax obligations but this was reportedly overturned by PSG a month later. Both parties appeared before the court on 17 November 2025.
The Dispute
Mbappé and his legal representatives alleged that the player’s salary was withheld over April, May and June 2024 (before he moved to Real Madrid on a free transfer) in breach of his player contract. The value of this claim amounted to just over €260m (£227m).
PSG argued, with reference to the player’s letter, that Mbappé concealed his intention to run down his contract with the club for approximately a year and therefore, the club counterclaimed up to €440m (£385m) in damages for alleged breaches of contract and loss of opportunity due to the player’s free transfer. This amount partly included the deal-in-principle for Mbappé to move to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League for approximately €300m, which fell through.
PSG also alleged that Mbappé’s reintegration into the first team squad was on the basis of an agreement between the parties that the player would waive his entitlement to certain salary payments for the 2023-24 season to compensate the club for their significant investment in the Frenchman should he leave on a free transfer. Mbappé and his advisers vehemently denied this claim.
PSG also alleged that Mbappé’s reintegration into the first team squad was on the basis of an agreement between the parties that the player would waive his entitlement to certain salary payments for the 2023-24 season.
The Court’s Judgment
On 16 December, a Paris labour court ordered PSG to pay Mbappé €60m (£52.6m). This figure was calculated based on three months of unpaid wages, an ethics bonus and a signing bonus owed to him under his player contract with the club.
The court found that there was no legally effective evidence of an agreement indicating that Mbappé had waived his right to receive player wages. It is also understood that the court noted the salary awarded had been recognised by the French Professional Football League/Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) in September and October 2024.
The court dismissed PSG’s claims that Mbappé should forfeit his unpaid wages and pay the club compensation but, on the other hand, did not order the club to pay sums related to the player’s additional claims of concealed work, moral harassment and breach of the employer’s duty of safety. It was decided that Mbappé’s fixed-term contract should not be re-classified as a permanent one accordingly limiting the value of compensation available to the player.
What Next?
In an official statement following the ruling, PSG confirmed that the club will comply with the court’s order but reserves its right to appeal. It remains to be seen whether the club will file an appeal.
According to reports, PSG has also been ordered by the court to publish the judgement on its official website for a month once it is ready.
There is also a connected ancillary dispute between the parties relating to the LFP’s intervention in 2024, which upheld Mbappé’s asserted entitlement to additional salary payments. PSG challenged the LFP’s jurisdiction to decide the civil matter and it is understood that a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 23 February 2026.
This case is another in recent times which challenges the specificity of sport. Whilst each case is decided on its own merits, a potential pattern emerging from recent disputes indicates that sport, most notably football, remains subject to EU-wide frameworks (such as EU labour laws) irrespective of sport’s unique social and economic standing.