Mbappe: 'It's normal for superstars to leave PSG'

In GQ magazine, striker Kylian Mbappe talked about his two senior stars Lionel Messi and Neymar leaving PSG and having to take on greater responsibility at both club and national team level.

Mbappe in a photo shoot on GQ. Photo: GQ

Mbappe's conversation with GQ took place in November 2023, a day after PSG's Champions League group stage draw with Newcastle at the Parc des Princes. That day, Mbappe scored a stoppage-time penalty to salvage a point for the French club after a disappointing performance by the team.

The French striker wasn’t upset, or if he was, he didn’t show it. He showed up for the interview in a plain black T-shirt, a baggy pastel Jordan tracksuit and an expensive watch. “Football is a complicated thing and you quickly forget the positive and negative experiences,” Mbappe said. “You always have to adapt and reinvent yourself.”

Some post-match aches and pains are normal for Mbappe, who has played more than 400 top-flight games despite only turning 25. After emerging as a teenage star at AS Monaco, Mbappe won the 2018 World Cup with France at just 19.

He joined PSG on loan from Monaco in 2017, before signing him permanently in the summer of 2018 for $215 million, becoming the most expensive teenager in history. Mbappe has become PSG's all-time leading goalscorer and will soon be on course to achieve similar status at international level. With 46 goals, Mbappe is now second on France's all-time goalscoring list, behind only Thierry Henry (51) and Olivier Giroud (56). Mbappe is also the youngest player ever to be shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or.

Along the way, Mbappe has learned what it takes to stay in top physical condition, including stretching more before games and then spending more time with physiotherapists. “It’s the largely invisible things that connect everything, making it easier for me to come back from any injury,” he says.

Mbappe works out in PSG's gym at Camp des Loges headquarters in Paris just three days after the 2022 World Cup final. Photo: Instagram @k.mbappe

Unlike many other football stars, Mbappe likes to draw a clear line between his professional and private life. "I have a fully equipped gym at home, but I like to spend as much time as possible at the team's training centre and do whatever I have to do there, even if I have to come home late," the 25-year-old striker said. "Recovery is also a mental thing. The club is a place of work, and home is a relaxing space, where I relax more, spend time with my family, who I don't see very often."

The 2023-2024 season marks a new turning point for Mbappe. In July 2023, Lionel Messi left PSG for Inter Miami in MLS on a free transfer. A month later, Neymar moved to Al Hilal of the Saudi Pro League in a record deal. Despite the departure of two senior stars, Mbappe is not fazed by the burden and responsibility of a much greater level at club level.

"Many great players who have shaped the history of football left Europe this summer and we are entering a new era," the 2018 World Cup winner said, referring to the wave of big-money moves to Saudi Arabia. "It has become part of the cycle of the sport and at some point it will be my turn to leave. I am not worried about these changes. I am simply thinking about continuing my career and following my own path."

Neymar, Mbappe (center) and Lionel Messi before the Ligue 1 match between PSG and Troyes at Parc des Princes, Paris on October 29, 2022. Photo: AFP

Mbappe likes to control every aspect of his image and knows how to present himself to the world . The French striker also showed his childlike enthusiasm and obsession with winning throughout the conversation.

"The desire to win, to push the limits of what is possible and to do great things is ingrained in me," he said. "I think it's because of the education and guidance I received both on and off the pitch. It's helped me build myself as a player and as a person. We tend to forget that, but we're always kids when we play football. The level of play changes, but the mentality doesn't. The passion stays the same over the years."

Despite being Ligue 1's top scorer for the last 5 seasons, including 29 goals last season, Mbappe always wants to be more complete. Coach Didier Deschamps is not surprised by his student's progress. "Mbappe is a perfectionist and competitive. He always wants to do more and be better in every field," said the 55-year-old coach.

Heading was not initially one of Mbappe's strengths, Deschamps said, but the striker has improved significantly in his aerial ability, which was demonstrated in his goal against Australia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. "The number of goals Mbappe has scored is impressive, but Mbappe can still finish more accurately," said the French coach.

Mbappe also takes a more holistic approach to training. "In addition to the technical aspects, to be better with your left foot or your head, you have to broaden your vision of the sport," the 25-year-old explains. "By playing for six or seven different coaches, I have learned six or seven different ways to do my job. I have developed different aspects and am constantly evolving. The right mindset requires the ability to listen and adapt." The 1998-born striker has also learned a lot from listening to stars elsewhere, such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in tennis, or French handball player Nikola Karabatic.

Mbappe began to seize opportunities to take on greater responsibilities, including captaining the French national team. "The big difference compared to before is that my attention was really focused on my individual performance and what I could bring to the team," he said. "Being captain gave me a new, broader vision."

Speaking to GQ , Mbappe has a few days to recover and prepare for the next match. These "breaks" are becoming increasingly rare, due to the increasing number of matches. From the 2024-2025 season, the number of teams participating in the Champions League will increase to 36, instead of 32 as in the current format, while the 2026 World Cup will have 48 teams, compared to 32 as in the current format. This makes the schedules of players increasingly crowded, when they have to play many domestic leagues and participate in many pre-season tours with large commercial benefits. A report released in June 2023 by the players' union FIFPRO, highlighted that the lack of recovery time between matches is causing the physical and mental health of professional players to deteriorate.

Mbappe dribbles during the 4-0 win over the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 qualifiers on March 24, 2023 in Paris - the first match after he was appointed captain of the French national team. Photo: AFP

Several players were injured after the November 2023 international break, including Vinicius, Erling Haaland, Gavi and Marcus Rashford. And Mbappe fears the changes are a sign of a growing disconnect between players, fans and football authorities. "I personally am not against playing so many games, but we will not be able to play well all the time and give the fans the performances they expect," the 25-year-old said. "I don't want to be preachy, but we need to think together about how to find the best possible solution so that players, fans and football authorities are all on the same page."

Mbappe is now focused on winning titles with PSG, and further down the line, Euro 2024 in Germany. After a disappointing Euro in 2021, where they lost to Switzerland in the round of 16, France are determined to go further and win the title. "We are one of the most anticipated teams in the tournament and we are all ready and confident," Mbappe stressed. "We are no longer some great champions, extremely important players like Hugo Lloris and Varane, but the collective strength is not affected. That shows real cohesion and adaptability."

There have also been rumours that Mbappe will attend the 2024 Olympics in his hometown of Paris. The 25-year-old striker is keen to play and win an Olympic medal, but admits he cannot make the decision himself. "I have reached a stage in my life and career where I do not want to force things anymore. If I am called up, I would love to go, but if that is not possible, I completely understand," he said. "For athletes, the Olympics have a special place. I wanted to go to Tokyo 2021 because I want to win everything and write my name in the history of French football as an important player."

Mbappe is also intent on writing his own story off the pitch and is well aware of his enormous influence. Apart from perhaps Man City’s Haaland and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, no player under 26 has a bigger profile than Mbappe. But he wants to use it to serve his own values, not just the interests of big brands.

The French striker has also never hesitated to speak out on social issues, denouncing racism in the stands and on social media, as well as wanting to control the exploitation of players' image rights. Mbappe even refused to pose for promotional photos with the French team linked to a fast food chain or a betting company in early 2022. As a result, the French Football Federation (FFF) gave in and revised image rights agreements from the 2022 World Cup.

In 2020, Mbappe launched Inspired by KM, a foundation that supports 98 young people in the Paris region, helping them take part in cultural events and recreational activities with the aim of opening their minds to new opportunities. "I was always taught to give back and share my luck," he said. "Talent was key to getting where I am today, but I was also helped by the luck of meeting the right people at the right time. Now that I'm in a position to pass it on, I want to help the next generation as best I can."

Mbappe at the launch of a children's academy funded by his foundation. Photo: Inspired by KM

Mbappe cited basketball star LeBron James, whom he met in the US during a Nike campaign a few years ago. "LeBron is much further along in his career than I am and his projects outside of sport have cemented his place as a sporting legend," the French striker added. "Being able to get advice from inspirational figures like LeBron gives me the opportunity to adapt my plans and create my own approach that is as effective as possible in helping today's young generation."

Mbappe's own path may soon diverge when his current PSG contract expires in June. After seven seasons of trophies and records, as well as stress and disappointment, the 25-year-old striker will have another choice to make: stay in the hope of PSG winning their first Champions League title or find his own path elsewhere. He has been linked with a move to Real for years and was offered a $775 million salary by Al Hilal in the summer of 2023, but turned it down.

Mbappe admits all of that – along with carrying the hopes and dreams of French football – as a burden. "I have shown that pressure does not affect me negatively and I even say that I need it to perform at my best," he insists. "Pressure allows me to maintain the level of excellence needed to play at the highest level."

Translated by Hong Duy

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