Court rules PSG must pay more than $70M to Mbappé in dispute over unpaid wages

A Paris labor court ruled that Paris Saint-Germain must pay more than 60 million euros ($70 million) to Kylian Mbappé in a dispute over unpaid wages and bonuses linked to the end of the France superstar's contract in 2024.

Lawyers argued last month before the Conseil de prud'hommes de Paris in a judicial fight involving colossal sums. On Tuesday, the court sided with Mbappé amid accusations of betrayal and moral harassment that marked the breakdown of his relationship with PSG.

The award roughly corresponds to Mbappé's initial claim of 55 million euros.

''It's been 18 months indeed that Kylian Mbappé has been asking for the same thing — the payment of his wages, his bonus, for the work he carried out," Mbappé's lawyer Delphine Verheyden said. "I'm sure he will be happy to close this chapter because it was very important for him to be paid for the work he did while playing for PSG.''

In November, his lawyers claimed that PSG owed him more than 260 million euros, arguing that his fixed-term contract should be reclassified as a permanent one — a move rejected by the judges. Such a reclassification could have triggered compensation for unfair dismissal, unpaid wages, bonuses, and severance.

PSG sought 440 million euros from Mbappé, citing damages and a ''loss of opportunity'' after he left on a free transfer. The club said it respects the ruling and will comply with it, while reserving all rights to appeal.

''Paris Saint-Germain has acted in good faith and honesty throughout, and we always will,'' PSG said. ''The club looks forward to the future based on collective unity and success; and we wish the player the best for the future.''

The relationship between the 2018 World Cup winner and the reigning European champion turned bitter when Mbappé decided in 2023 not to extend his contract, which was set to expire in summer 2024.

This deprived the club of a juicy transfer fee despite having offered him the most lucrative contract in club history when he signed a new deal in 2022. He was sidelined from a preseason tour and forced to train with fringe players.

He missed the opening league game but returned to the lineup for a final season after discussions with the club — talks that are central to the dispute.

A lingering feud

The club accused Mbappé of backing out of an August 2023 agreement that allegedly included a pay reduction should he leave on a free transfer, an arrangement PSG said was meant to protect its financial stability. PSG claimed Mbappé hid his decision not to extend his contract for nearly 11 months, from July 2022 to June 2023, preventing the club from arranging a transfer and causing major financial harm. It accused him of violating contractual obligations and the principles of good faith and loyalty.

''Mbappé scrupulously fulfilled his sporting and contractual obligations for seven years and right up to the final day,'' his advisers said on Tuesday. ''He did everything possible to avoid litigation, even going so far as to withdraw a harassment complaint in a spirit of conciliation. In total, he had been seeking payment of his salaries and bonuses for more than 18 months.''

PSG rejected all accusations of harassment, highlighting that Mbappé took part in over 94% of matches in 2023–24 and always worked under conditions compliant with the Professional Football Charter. The club's claims included 180 million euros for the lost opportunity to transfer Mbappé, who left as a free agent after turning down a 300 million euros offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal in July 2023.

Mbappé joined PSG from Monaco for 180 million euros. He signed for Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 on a free transfer after scoring a club-record 256 goals in seven years at PSG, which won the Champions League this year without him.

___