Kylian Mbappe Wins as PSG Ordered to Pay Huge Fee After Unpaid Wages Dispute

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Court Delivers Major Blow to PSG as Kylian Mbappe Comes Out on Top

Kylian Mbappe has won a decisive and long-running legal battle against Paris Saint-Germain, with a French labour court ordering the Ligue 1 champions to pay the Real Madrid forward a staggering €60 million in unpaid wages and bonuses. In the same ruling, the court dismissed PSG’s extraordinary counter-claim demanding €440 million from their former superstar, bringing a dramatic twist to one of the most toxic break-ups modern football has ever seen.

For Mbappe, the verdict represents vindication after nearly 18 months of legal wrangling, public mud-slinging, and strained relations with the club he once symbolised. For PSG, it is a humbling outcome that exposes the risks of pushing contractual boundaries in an era where players are increasingly willing to fight back.

This was not just a case about money. It was about power, principle, and the limits of control in elite football.

Mbappe Emerges Victorious After Months of Legal Warfare

The French labour court ruled on Tuesday that PSG must pay Mbappe €60 million, covering unpaid wages from April, May and June 2024, as well as an ethics bonus and the final instalment of a signing-on fee that had been written into his contract.

The court’s decision aligns precisely with two earlier rulings made by the French Professional Football League (LFP), which had already validated Mbappe’s claims earlier this year. PSG, however, had refused to comply with those decisions, choosing instead to escalate the matter to the civil courts.

This ruling now carries significantly greater legal weight.

In simple terms, the court found that Mbappe worked, fulfilled his contractual obligations, and was therefore entitled to be paid in full. The club’s decision to withhold his salary during the final months of his deal was deemed unlawful.

Mbappe’s legal team described the outcome as long overdue.

“For 18 months, Kylian Mbappe has been asking for the same thing,” his lawyers said outside the courtroom. “Payment of his wages and bonuses for the work he performed.”

PSG’s €440m Counter-Claim Dismissed in Full

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If the €60 million payout was painful for PSG, the dismissal of their €440 million counter-claim was downright humiliating.

In a bold — some would say reckless — move, PSG had attempted to flip the narrative by arguing that Mbappe owed them an astronomical sum for leaving the club on a free transfer. The club claimed that his decision to see out his contract deprived them of a potential transfer fee and constituted a “loss of opportunity.”

Central to PSG’s argument was the alleged existence of a verbal “gentleman’s agreement” between Mbappe and club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. According to PSG, Mbappe had supposedly agreed to waive part of his salary in exchange for being reintegrated into the first-team squad in August 2023, after initially being frozen out.

The court was unconvinced.

Judges ruled that PSG failed to provide any written proof of such an agreement, and that verbal understandings — particularly those involving sums of this magnitude — carry no legal force without documentation.

As a result, the entire €440 million claim was thrown out.

‘Football Is Not a Lawless Zone’

Mbappe’s lawyers did not hide their satisfaction.

“We are very pleased; this is a victory we’ve been waiting for for a long time,” they said. “This is the third time this ruling has been upheld.”

They also highlighted one particularly important aspect of the judgment: provisional enforcement. That means PSG are legally required to pay Mbappe immediately, even if they choose to appeal.

“Football is not a lawless zone,” the lawyers added. “When you do a job, you get paid for it.”

It was a pointed remark, one that cuts to the heart of the case. In an industry often accused of operating above normal labour standards, this ruling reinforces the idea that footballers, despite their wealth and fame, are still employees protected by law.

PSG Left Facing Another Appeal Decision

PSG declined to comment immediately after the ruling, though the court has ordered the club to publish an acknowledgement of the decision on its official website. A formal statement is expected to follow.

Reports in France suggest PSG are considering yet another appeal, a move that would prolong a saga already marked by bitterness and fatigue on both sides. However, legal experts have suggested the club’s chances of overturning this ruling are slim, given the consistency of previous decisions.

If PSG do appeal, the case could drag on for months — possibly years — further cementing this dispute as one of the ugliest divorces in football history.

Mbappe and PSG: From Dream Project to Toxic Divorce

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It is difficult to overstate how far this relationship has fallen.

When Mbappe committed his future to PSG in 2022, turning down Real Madrid in dramatic fashion, the club believed it had secured the face of its project for years to come. He was given unprecedented influence, enormous financial rewards, and a central role in the club’s sporting vision.

Yet within a year, everything had changed.

Mbappe’s refusal to trigger a contract extension clause in 2023 led to PSG freezing him out of the squad, excluding him from the pre-season tour of Japan, and placing him in a standoff that played out in full public view. The relationship between player and president Nasser Al-Khelaifi became increasingly strained, with trust eroding on both sides.

By the time Mbappe finally left for Real Madrid in 2024, the bridges were not just burned — they were reduced to ashes.

A Record-Setter Leaves Under a Cloud

Mbappe departed PSG as the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 256 goals across all competitions. He delivered domestic dominance, iconic Champions League nights, and global visibility that elevated PSG’s brand to unprecedented levels.

Yet his exit was defined less by gratitude and more by grievance.

The unpaid wages dispute became the final chapter in a saga that exposed deep flaws in how PSG handled contract negotiations, player relations, and internal power struggles.

This ruling ensures that, at least legally, Mbappe has the final word.

Life Goes On at Real Madrid

Now settled at Real Madrid, Mbappe appears eager to move forward.

On the pitch, he has already begun to justify the hype, making an immediate impact in La Liga and integrating into Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded side. Off the pitch, this court victory allows him to close a painful chapter and focus fully on his football.

There is a certain irony that both PSG and Real Madrid remain alive in the Champions League, with PSG sitting third and just one point ahead of Madrid, who currently occupy seventh place. A potential European clash between the two would add yet another layer of intrigue to an already combustible storyline.

For Mbappe, there would be no shortage of motivation.

A Landmark Case for Modern Football

Beyond the personalities involved, this case carries wider implications for the game.

It sends a clear message to clubs that contractual obligations cannot be brushed aside, regardless of power dynamics or financial muscle. It also underlines the growing willingness of elite players to assert their rights through legal channels rather than behind closed doors.

Kylian Mbappe has won — not just financially, but symbolically.

As PSG count the cost of their failed gamble, one thing is certain: this verdict will be remembered as a defining moment in the evolving balance of power between clubs and players in modern football.