Paris St-Germain have been ordered by a French court to pay former striker Kylian Mbappe €60m (£52.5m) in unpaid salary and bonuses, bringing partial closure to a bitter contractual dispute.
The ruling was delivered by a Paris labour court on Tuesday, months after the case was formally lodged. Mbappe had originally sought €263m in damages from his former club.
The 26-year-old forward, now playing for Real Madrid, argued that PSG had breached their contractual obligations during the final months of his time in Paris. The court sided with him in part.
Judges concluded that PSG failed to pay three months of Mbappe’s salary between April and June 2024. They also ruled that certain bonuses written into his contract remained unpaid.
According to sources close to the case, the majority of the €60m award relates to bonuses rather than basic salary. These included an ethics bonus and a signing bonus.
Mbappe’s legal team had previously requested that €55m be frozen in PSG’s accounts. That measure was granted in May while the court examined the claims.
“This is what you could expect when salaries went unpaid,” Mbappe’s lawyer, Frederique Cassereau, said after the ruling. She described the judgement as fair and legally straightforward.
In a follow-up statement, Mbappe’s legal representatives said the decision confirmed that contractual commitments must be honoured, even within elite professional football.
They added that the ruling reaffirmed a “simple truth” that labour law applies equally to clubs and players, regardless of status or commercial power.
Mbappe’s camp stressed that the France captain respected all his sporting and contractual obligations during seven years at PSG, up to his final day with the club.
PSG, however, avoided acknowledging wrongdoing. While accepting the court’s decision, the club made clear it has not ruled out filing an appeal.
“Paris St-Germain takes note of the judgement pronounced by the Paris Labour Court, which it will execute, while reserving the right to appeal,” the club said in a statement.
The Parisian side had also launched a counter-claim against Mbappe, seeking €240m in compensation. That claim was linked to wider financial disagreements.
Central to PSG’s argument was Mbappe’s failed €300m transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal in 2023. The club argued it suffered financial damage.
Mbappe ultimately rejected the move and instead joined Real Madrid on a free transfer the following summer, ending his high-profile PSG career.
The court dismissed the bulk of PSG’s counter-arguments, focusing instead on whether wages and bonuses were contractually owed and unpaid.
Legal experts say the ruling sends a clear message to clubs about the limits of leverage in contract standoffs with star players.
While the €60m award is significantly lower than Mbappe’s original claim, it still represents one of the most substantial labour court decisions involving a footballer in France.
For PSG, the case marks an uncomfortable episode during a period of transition. The club is now seeking stability following Mbappe’s departure.
In their statement, PSG said they are “looking to the future, based on unity and collective success,” while wishing Mbappe well for the remainder of his career.
As the possibility of an appeal looms, the judgement already stands as a landmark reminder that even football’s biggest institutions remain subject to labour law.