Okoro Daniel O.
The end of the 2023/24 season ended with what was supposed to be a big announcement in the football world; Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid, here we go!
Just about a week after the season was concluded, Real Madrid confirmed the signing of Kylian Mbappe from the Paris football giant, PSG. Most football lovers all over the world weren’t overly surprised as the news wasn’t really a news, because prior to the announcement, Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid had been all over the place for over a year now.
In fact, he would have signed for Real Madrid the year Messi and Neymar left but because of the agreement in his deal with PSG, he was wing-tied and couldn’t fly to his boyhood club in Spain.
However, it is rather surprising to find out that the attention of most football lovers all over the world was all on Mbappe’s movement to Real Madrid but didn’t ask another most important question aside from the “Do Real Madrid Need Mbappe or Mbappe Needs Madrid?” which is; What would be the fate of PSG and Ligue 1 after Mbappe’s Exit?
Did PSG made efforts to keep Mbappe? Yes, they did. They even went their way to sign the most shittiest deal in football with Mbappe.
In 2022, PSG handed Kylian one of the most ridiculous deal ever in football. Although, officially, the terms agreed in the deal wasn’t disclosed by the football club to the public. However, it was rumoured that Mbappe was given almost the same power as the club owners in the signed deal.
But would Mbappe stay? No, he didn’t. Why?
To Certify His Career with UCL Trophy
Although Mbappe won the World Cup with France at the age of 19, which somehow got him a slot in the upcoming GOAT catalogue after the Messi—Ronaldo era. But would World Cup be enough to put him on that podium?
Mbappe has won all the trophies Ligue 1 has to offer. And that, somehow, makes him him more of a local champion than a World Best. What is a World Best without any European competitions’ trophy?
Mbappe, perhaps, in other to avoid being haunted for not winning any UEFA Champions League at the end of his career decided to sign for Real Madrid aka UCL’s daddy —where he knows irrespective of his work rate, somehow, someday, a UCL trophy would be delivered to him effortlessly.
But come to think of it, before signing for Real Madrid, did he make efforts to win the precious trophy? Yes, he did.
Fresh out from Monaco youth academy after AS Bondy, 16-year-old Kylian Mbappé Lottin got promoted to the AS Monaco B where he played just one season before earning his stay in the senior team after scoring 4 goals in 12 appearances. Between 2015-2017, Mbappe played with the host of Fabinho, Falcao, Adama Traore and others.
2017 was the most promising year. AS Monaco went on to reach to Semi-final of the 2016/17 UCL (got defeated by Juventus) after winning Ligue 1 in 2017 with Mbappe scoring 26 goals alongside Radamel Falcao who also scored 30 goals.
His performances which had PSG wondering “who is this new kid on the block?” got him signed to the club on a loan transfer. A year later, after he won the World Cup with France, PSG permanently signed him.
2020 became the most promising year of his career. He nearly won the UCL trophy with Neymar by his side. Well, Bayern Munich said no.
Their most promising year after that was in the 2023/24 season where Luis Enrique almost took them to another final until another German team, Dortmund, said no.
Whose fault? PSG? Mbappe? Mbappe, no, I don’t think so. It’s probably PSG’s. They’ve had many near-winning encounters and got dragged down. 2020 was their most successful UCL run. They barely make it out R16 years before that. That cold night at Camp Nou when Neymar, Suarez, Messi, Roberto performed the historic Remontada…
Mbappe left. He fled for his life (oh sorry, career). He fled to rescue his career. To a place where UCL trophies would be added to his name regardless of the effort.
Quick Joke: Fans all over the world said Real Madrid CF would be dashing Mbappe UCL trophies as they didn’t need him as much as he needs them to write his name in the book of legends of the game. How true is that?
What Is ‘Mbappe’ Without Balon d’Or?
Most people would say, Mbappe left PSG to go and try another league to prove his worth. I’m certainly not on the same page as them. Because, if truly he had wanted to try another league, what happened to signing for a struggling club in Serie A, EPL, or even Saudi Arabia? Or maybe the Nigeria’s Enyimba or Kano pillers?
But he left all these beautiful clubs and chose Real Madrid. A club he declared his boyhood club.
Well, away from that, we all know that the reason why Mbappe didn’t sign for Liverpool is because Real Madrid has more chances of fetching him Balon d’or. Look at Jude Bellingham for example. Two seasons ago, who would have thought players like Bellingham could be mentioned in the potential Balon D’or winner’s conversation? But look at him now. With a less work rate than Mbappe at PSG, he is now considered a potential winner of the Balon d’Or.
Mbappe definitely thought about all of these and said to himself, “Nah, Real Madrid, here I come. I’m coming for my Balon d’or!”
So yeah, Mbappe to Real Madrid is a pathway to winning the Balon d’Or.
Meanwhile, navigating into details of what Mbappe has done to Paris Saint-German and Ligue 1 as a whole, let’s quickly navigate through some of the things Mbappe added to the league.
- Star Power’s Influence: Mbappe, over the years, has grown to become a driving force. A centre of attraction for both PSG and Ligue 1. He became the face of the league and the team.
- More TV Viewers: Some of the Lique 1 viewers in the world today became fan of the league because of Mbappe. We definitely can’t factor out Messi and Neymar in this conversation.
- More Shirt Sales: Aside from TV right shares, ticket sales. Shirt sales is another branch of football that fetches money to football clubs. Without any doubt, Mbappe shirt sales increased the revenue truck of PSG.
…and many more.
After observing all the influence the 25-year-old wonder kid had for French league and PSG, what do you think would be the fate of Ligue 1 and most importantly, PSG from the beginning of next season? Let’s have a chat in the comment section below…
Written by Okoro Daniel O.