Kylian Mbappe leaves PSG for Real Madrid: France superstar leaves an unrivaled legacy as he starts new chapter

The moment the football world has been waiting for has finally arrived: Kylian Mbappe was officially announced as a Real Madrid signing this summer, after years of twists and turns in what has become one of the most enduring transfer sagas in memory. The France international is expected to arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu in time for next season following the conclusion of UEFA Euro 2024, having missed out on the initial squad for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer. Mbappe signed for Paris Saint-Germain after winning the Coupe de France final and winning his last silver medal in his homeland.

So what better place to start than looking at the legacy the 25-year-old is leaving at the Parc des Princes?

PSG legacy

• 6x League 1
• 3x French Cup
• 3x Champions Trophy
• 2x League Cup
• 1x UCL runner-up

Mbappé leaves PSG as the French champion’s all-time top scorer in all club competitions, with 256 goals and surpassing former teammate Edinson Cavani (200). Also the capital club’s top scorer in Ligue 1 history, with 175 goals, the iconic number 7 leads UEFA competitions (exclusively the Champions League) with 42 goals and also has a combined best national cup record of 39. Surprisingly, Mbappe is third on PSG’s all-time list for assists in all competitions with 96, with only Angel Di Maria performing better among his teammates, while his 22 assists in UEFA lead the way.

Putting this into modern statistical terms, the Bondy-born talent took an impressive 352 decisive actions in Parisian colours, which is at least 117 better than anyone else in the club’s history. Mbappe is also in the top 10 for all-time appearances, third for UEFA appearances and holds a variety of goal-related records such as PSG’s fastest goalscorer (eight seconds), most goals in a game (five) and two UEFA hat-tricks. which is shared with Neymar, the only player in the club’s history to cost more than Mbappe’s $194 million acquisition.

Ligue 1 legacy

• 7x Ligue 1 (PSG and Monaco combined)
• 5x gunner
• 5x best player in Ligue 1
• 3x best French player
• 3x best young player
• 1x best assists

When you combine Mbappe’s Ligue 1 titles with PSG and Monaco, that’s seven of eight possible domestic titles since he made his senior debut at the end of 2015. His total of 191 Championnat goals ranks him seventh of all times with the closest most recognizable and active name on the list, ASM’s Wissam Ben Yedder, falling 16th with 160. Mbappe’s ratio of 0.78 goals per game is second only to Carlos Bianchi in the top 10. Although he doesn’t If he sticks around long enough to attempt a top 10 position in all-time games, he’s just two titles away from Marquinhos and Marco Verratti’s joint record of nine. In terms of modern figureheads and poster boys of French football, Mbappe is arguably the strongest profile ever selected on the modern domestic scene.

Les Bleus so far

• 1x World Cup
• 1x World Cup runner-up
• 1x UEFA Nations League
• 1x World Cup Golden Boot
• 1x World Cup Silver Ball
• 1x Best Young Player of the World Cup
• 1x Kopa Trophy

If Les Blues win UEFA Euro 2024 this summer, Mbappe will have won virtually everything possible at international level before officially leaving France for Spain. Furthermore, any achievement later this year would be as captain of his country after Didier Deschamps named him as Hugo Lloris’ replacement after the long-serving goalkeeper retired after Qatar. While there is undoubtedly a desire to add a second World Cup from 2026, Mbappe has already secured one of the titles that many of his rivals for future individual glory may never have the chance to call their own. The home Olympics were a unique opportunity and his desire to take part in the Games was understandable, but – for now – Mbappe is not part of Thierry Henry’s starting squad, although a surplus place has been left free.

Is La Liga next?

What comes next is logically the continuation of the search for individual awards that have eluded him until now, but now with Real Madrid. The French star could follow in the footsteps of George Weah and be yet another player crowned Ballon d’Or winner after leaving PSG, where most of the work towards this at club level has been done. Compatriots Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema set the bar extremely high in this regard, although Zizou’s Ballon d’Or victory came with Juventus rather than Los Blancos. Real and rivals Barcelona have 12 Ballon d’Or wins each, although Barça have six different winners to rival Madrid’s eight. Will Mbappé be able to break this impasse in the near future? That will certainly be part of his thinking as Carlo Ancelotti’s side do not need help to secure domestic or continental success after their 36th La Liga title was followed by their 15th UCL title. However, a poor season for Spanish clubs in Europe saw the Italian Serie A overtake La Liga in the UEFA coefficient, hence Mbappé’s desire for individual recognition – almost exclusively limited to Real and Barça players, with the exception of Lionel Messi’s two Argentina-inspired titles with PSG and then Inter Miami – it’s perfectly timed.