It has been almost ten years since Kylian Mbappé made his professional debut. Since then, the Frenchman has seen a lot in the world of soccer—and has now given an extremely open and honest interview…
Kylian Mbappé is one of the best soccer players in the world. On December 2, 2015, the speedy forward made his first appearance for the senior team, coming on as a substitute shortly before the end of Monaco’s 1-1 draw with Caen. He enjoyed a meteoric rise in the principality, moving to PSG in 2017 and finally to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.
The attention on the captain of the French national team has, of course, increased dramatically over the years. “I’m neither the first nor the last. It’s just more intense for me. It’s the story of soccer, television, and fame. Sometimes it’s fair, sometimes it’s unfair, but it’s something you can’t change,“ Mbappé knows. ”I often say that people don’t know me, but at the same time, you can’t know everyone. That’s normal. Much of what is said about me is far from reality.”
But he has to live with it in this industry. “Sometimes people see you as much darker than you are, sometimes more beautiful. But the truth always comes out, even if it takes a long time,” said the 26-year-old in an extremely candid and reflective interview with L’Equipe. “Some people spend their entire careers waiting for recognition or for people to really know who they are. You have to learn to live with that. You waste a lot of energy if you spend your time fighting against it—and you’ll never win.”
As a professional soccer player, especially with the quality and earnings of a Mbappé, life changes completely, of course. Suddenly you can afford everything, there are envious people or even people who want to profit from your success. “The more money you have, the more problems you have,” says the Frenchman. “You have responsibilities, obligations, a job, and you have to be accountable. When other people walk this path with you, it’s a beautiful story. It’s nice to grow up, reach the top, with the same family and the same familiar foundation. But sometimes it doesn’t work out. It’s a problem that many athletes and celebrities face.“
Home as a safe haven
Overall, the Frenchman chooses very critical words for the business here and there. ”Soccer is what it is. I like to say that the people who go to the stadium are lucky to ‘only’ see the game and not know what goes on behind the scenes. To be honest, if I didn’t have this passion, I would have been disgusted by the world of soccer long ago,“ says Mbappé, who openly admits: ”I would never advise my child to get involved in the world of soccer.”
His environment gives him stability in this business. Even in bad times, he can rely on his trusted friends. “My home is my refuge. Not everyone can enter it. When there’s fire or ecstasy outside, when people are going completely crazy, I always tell myself that it’s over because I’m going home,” says the lightning-fast striker.
As a soccer player, of course, it can also happen that you are alone, perhaps without your loved ones around you. It is very important to keep an eye on your mental health. Mbappé cites international tournaments as a difficult example in this area, where, depending on how far you get, you are often away from home for a long time.
“Between the semifinals and the final, the world stands still”
“You’re locked up for about sixty days. At the World Cup, nothing else matters, and there’s no point in escaping everyday life by watching the latest series or TV show. When you turn on the TV, you know that’s all we’re going to talk about. The first few days are fine. But the further you get…” said the 26-year-old, who has been in the final of two World Cups and won the title once in 2018.
The phase at the very end of the tournament is particularly challenging. “Between the semifinals and the final, the world stands still. People are standing in front of the hotel and you’ve been there for sixty days and you say to yourself: This is the biggest game of my life, I can’t wait for it to end. Those four or five days are no fun.”
