A French court has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay former striker Kylian Mbappe €60 million (£52.5 million) in unpaid wages and bonuses.
Mbappe was seeking €263m (£231.5m) from his former club after the protracted dispute reached a Paris labor court in November.
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The European champions have filed a counterclaim against the France captain for €240m (£211m).
The 26-year-old Real Madrid striker has demanded a nine-figure sum in damages in response to a contract dispute and mistreatment at the hands of the club.
However, in court on Tuesday he was awarded just over a fifth of that amount.
The court found that PSG failed to pay him three months' salary between April and June 2024, as well as the ethics bonus and signing bonus under his contract.
It is believed that most of the money Mbappe received came from bonuses rather than his salary.
In May, an amount of 55 million euros in the club's accounts was frozen at the request of Mbappe's legal team.
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“We are satisfied with this decision. This is what could be expected when salaries were not paid,” said Mbappe’s lawyer Frederic Cassero.
In a statement, Mbappe's legal team added: “This decision confirms that the obligations undertaken must be respected. It restores a simple truth: even in professional football, labor rights apply to everyone.”
“Mr. Mbappe, for his part, scrupulously complied with his sporting and contractual obligations for seven years, right up to the last day.”
In accepting the court's decision, PSG did not rule out the possibility of appealing the decision.
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The club demanded compensation for Mbappe. Failed transfer for 300 million euros to the Saudi club Al-Hilal in 2023.
He joined Spanish giants Real Madrid on a free transfer next summer.
A club statement said: “Paris Saint-Germain takes note of the decision rendered by the Paris Labor Court, which it will comply with, reserving the right to appeal.
“Paris Saint-Germain has always acted with integrity and honesty and will continue to do so. The club now looks to a future based on unity and collective success and wishes the player all the best for the rest of his career.”
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Mbappe's decision not to transfer to the Saudi Pro League, coupled with his refusal to sign a contract extension, sparked a dispute that lasted more than two years. The striker believed that the French champions had suspended him from the game.
He was not invited to take part in the club's pre-season tour of Asia and missed the opening match of the 2023–24 campaign.
He was later reinstated to the team – a decision PSG said followed Mbappe's agreement to forgo some end-of-contract payments to protect the club's financial health.
However, at a November hearing, Mbappe's representatives dismissed this claim as “fantasy.”
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PSG also accused the player of acting “disloyally by concealing for almost 11 months, from July 2022 to June 2023, his decision not to renew his contract” and said his actions had caused “significant damage” to the club.
Mbappe was at PSG from 2017 to 2024, first on loan from Monaco and then on a permanent basis, and won 15 trophies in the French capital.
He is PSG's all-time leading goalscorer with 256 goals in 308 games, including 44 goals in 48 matches in his final season.
“An Important Milestone in the Legal Battle” – Analysis
The Paris labor court's decision on Tuesday marks a major milestone in the protracted legal battle since Mbappe left the capital.
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PSG have been ordered to remit an amount equivalent to salaries and bonuses that were not paid at the end of the 2023/24 season. The court also rejected Mbappe's other claims, as well as PSG's counterclaims.
However, on the essence of the dispute with which the trial began, the court ruled in favor of the attacker.
Mbappe in particular sought to legally change his contract with PSG to a permanent contract and alleged mistreatment at the hands of the club, demanding a total of €260 million.
The French champions, meanwhile, claimed Mbappe had verbally agreed to give up certain bonuses ahead of his final season at the club, following which he joined Real Madrid on a free transfer.
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The counterclaim for €440 million was based, in part, on an alleged move to Saudi Arabia that did not take place.
PSG announced that they would pay the specified amount. While leaving open the possibility of appeals, they expressed their willingness to eventually abandon the protracted legal battle while pointing to their success on the pitch without the France captain.
