Superstar Kylian Mbappe’s Image Takes A Hit Amid Rape Allegations

Kylian Mbappe is hoping his recent move to Real Madrid will take his already glittering career on the pitch to new heights, but the French superstar has become embroiled in off-field difficulties in recent months.

In a perfect scenario, the former Paris Saint-Germain striker would have had the opportunity to completely concentrate on settling into Madrid following his move to the Spanish capital on a five-year contract this past summer.

Instead, as well as being hampered by fitness problems, Mbappe has been locked in a bitter financial dispute with his old club and is now cited as the suspect in a rape investigation, according to reports in Sweden.

Mbappe has dismissed those reports as “fake news” and is hoping to win his battle with PSG over what he claims amounts to €55 million (£46 million) in unpaid wages and bonuses from last season.

However, the unfavorable headlines tarnish the player’s reputation and diminish the allure surrounding a young man who has emerged as an icon in his home country and a global sports superstar.

When Mbappe emerged as a teenager at Monaco almost a decade ago, he stood out because of his precocious talent but also thanks to his remarkable communication skills.

Rather than being fazed by the media spotlight, Mbappe was clearly at ease in front of the cameras and spoke with the maturity and assurance of someone considerably older.

He became a World Cup winner at just 19 and later became the all-time top scorer for PSG, the local club of the boy from Bondy in the Paris suburbs.

How Committed is he as the captain?

In March 2023, just a few months after scoring a spectacular hat-trick in France’s World Cup final loss to Lionel Messi’s Argentina, he was appointed captain of the national team by coach Didier Deschamps.

That seemed a natural choice given his status in the team and the country in general, but his position as skipper meant the decision to rest him for France’s UEFA Nations League matchesto rest him for France’s UEFA Nations League matches this month was controversial.

Mbappe had picked up a thigh injury in late September, a minor problem but one that suggested giving him a break would be beneficial in the long run.

“We need to put the player’s interests first, without putting him into difficulty,” Deschamps said of that decision, referring to Mbappe’s relationship with his new club.

While France’s sports media debated whether Mbappé’s temporary absence from the squad was warranted or indicated a lack of commitment to the national team, the player took a short break in Stockholm with members of his entourage.

Swedish newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen, and public broadcaster SVT, have since reported that he is under investigation for rape, after an alleged incident in a hotel on October 10.

A Swedish prosecutor confirmed on Tuesday that a rape investigation had been opened but did not mention Mbappe’s name.

Changing attitude

Meanwhile, Mbappe, whose career is managed by his mother, Fayza Lamari, has taken his financial row with PSG to a French league committee.

He is seeking to recover €55 million, which consists of several months of unpaid wages and a signing bonus. PSG asserts that he agreed to forfeit this amount if he left for free at the end of last season.

Mbappe even intimated on Monday that there was a link between the rape report and the wrangle with his old team, where he spent seven years.

“It’s becoming so predictable, on the eve of the hearing, as if by chance,” he wrote on X on Monday.

His troubled departure from PSG, during which he was sidelined multiple times in the latter part of last season after announcing his desire to leave, likely played a role in a disappointing European Championship campaign with France.

Mbappe suffered a broken nose in France’s opening game at Euro 2024 in June and only scored one goal, a penalty in a group-stage draw with Poland before Les Bleus lost in the semi-finals.

He looked some way short of peak physical form and is taking his time to settle in Madrid, even if he has seven goals in his first 11 appearances.

A recent incident appeared to reflect the shift in sentiment toward Mbappé in his home country, as he was met with loud boos from Lille supporters when he was brought on as a substitute for Real in a Champions League match earlier this month.

Such a welcome for an opposition player may not be unusual, but it contrasted sharply with the acclaim with which he was received around France in the aftermath of the last World Cup.