Charles Jackson
The moment the football world has been waiting for has finally arrived: Kylian Mbappe has officially announced that he will leave PSG this summer, after years of twists and turns in what has become one of the most enduring transfer sagas in memory. Although his final destination is officially unknown, it is believed that the France international is expected to arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu in time for next season following the conclusion of UEFA Euro 2024 and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer. All that’s left for Paris Saint-Germain is to play in the Coupe de France final for the chance to win their last title in their homeland.
What better place to start, then, than looking at the legacy Mbappe is leaving behind at the Parc des Princes.
PSG legacy
- 6x League 1
- 3/4x Coupé de France
- 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 255 goals and surpassing former teammate Edinson Cavani (200). Also the capital club’s top scorer in Ligue 1 history, with 174 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 351 decisive actions in Parisian colours, which is at least 116 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.
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Ligue 1 legacy
- 7x Ligue 1 (PSG and Monaco combined)
- 5/6x gunner
- 4/5x best player in Ligue 1
- 3/4x best French player
- 2x best young player
- 1x best assists
When you combine Mbappé’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 190 Championnat goals ranks him seventh of all times with the closest most recognizable and active name on the list ASM’s Wissam Ben Yedder fell 16th with 160. While he won’t be around long enough to challenge for a spot in the top 10 in all-time games, he is just two titles behind Marquinhos and Marco Verratti. record set of nine. In terms of modern figures and poster boys of French football, Mbappe is undoubtedly the strongest profile ever selected on the national stage.
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 and/or the Paris Olympics 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 Olympics at home are as unique an opportunity as possible and his desire to participate in the Games is understandable: “My position has not changed,” Mbappe said a few days ago in a Nike event. “The truth is also that it’s not my gift. My gift is PSG. Speaking here, I’m not thinking much about the Olympics, but my official position on the matter hasn’t changed.”
Is La Liga next?
What comes next is logically the continuation of his search for the individual awards that have eluded him until now, with Real Madrid being his most likely landing place. 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 for 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 success after their 36th La Liga title was secured at the weekend. However, a poor season for Spanish clubs in Europe saw Italy’s Serie A overtake La Liga in the UEFA coefficient, hence Mbappe’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.
