Kylian Mbappe admits he was happy for Paris Saint-Germain following their Champions League triumph, despite leaving the club just a year earlier under tense circumstances.
The French forward, who joined Real Madrid on a free transfer last summer, said he felt no bitterness watching his former side finally lift Europe’s most prestigious club trophy.
“I was happy, they deserved it, they’ve been through so many problems, I’ve been through that too. I’ve been through every stage of the Champions League except winning it,” Mbappe told reporters on Saturday.
“They were the best team in Europe. I can’t remember ever seeing them go 5-0 up. It’s 100% deserved, they’re becoming the team everyone wants to beat.”
PSG’s long-awaited triumph came four years after they lost the 2020 final to Bayern Munich, and marked a significant breakthrough for a club that had repeatedly fallen short despite major investment.
Mbappe departed PSG as their all-time top scorer but later took legal action against the club, seeking €55 million in unpaid wages. Despite that dispute, the 26-year-old holds no ill will towards his old team-mates.
For the sixth time in the last year, Lamine Yamal got the better of Kylian Mbappé 😅 pic.twitter.com/p3jrwJLtD7
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 6, 2025
“PSG won the Champions League without me, that doesn’t affect me. That’s a good thing. I think we all face challenges in our careers,” he added.
“I’m a bit more in the eye of the storm, which is good. I’ve always liked being in these positions, it’s up to me to work. I’ve reversed quite a few trends in my career, I’ve had a lot of things stuck on my back and I’ve managed to get them off.
“Did I leave too soon? No, my story was over, it had to end. There was no bitterness, I’d reached the end of my tether.”
Mbappe scored 43 goals in all competitions during his debut season at Real Madrid, but the Spanish giants ended the campaign without silverware.
They finished second to Barcelona in both LaLiga and the Copa del Rey and were eliminated by Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals.
When asked who he believes deserves the Ballon d’Or, Mbappe threw his support behind Ousmane Dembele – his former PSG teammate – over Barcelona’s rising star Lamine Yamal.
