A Paris labour court has ordered Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to pay former striker Kylian Mbappe €60 million ($70.6m) in unpaid salary and bonuses, partially resolving one of French football’s most bitter disputes.
The ruling on Tuesday followed months of legal wrangling after Mbappe sued PSG over earnings withheld between April and June 2024, shortly before his free transfer to Real Madrid.
Mbappe’s lawyer, Frederique Cassereau, welcomed the decision: “We are satisfied with the ruling. This is what you could expect when salaries went unpaid.”
The court found PSG failed to pay three months of salary, an ethics bonus, and a signing bonus due under Mbappe’s contract. These sums had already been recognised by the French Professional Football League in rulings issued in September and October 2024. Judges noted PSG had not produced any written agreement showing Mbappe had waived his entitlement.
While rejecting PSG’s argument that Mbappe should forfeit his wages, the court also dismissed several of the player’s additional claims, including allegations of concealed work, moral harassment, and breach of safety obligations. The judges further ruled that Mbappe’s fixed-term contract could not be treated as permanent, limiting potential compensation for dismissal and notice pay.
Mbappe’s legal team hailed the verdict as a reaffirmation of basic labour rights: “This judgment confirms that commitments entered into must be honoured. It restores a simple truth: even in the professional football industry, labour law applies to everyone.”
PSG had argued that Mbappe acted disloyally by concealing his decision not to renew his contract, preventing the club from securing a transfer fee comparable to the €180 million ($212m) they paid AS Monaco in 2017. Mbappe’s representatives countered that the case was strictly about unpaid remuneration under French labour law, not transfer policy.
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