“I deserve the money I earn; I didn’t steal it from anyone” - When Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe made emphatic claim about career earnings
Months before he made his move to Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappe had said that he 'deserves' every penny he earns, as it's not stolen from anyone. The 25-year-old joined Los Blancos this summer on a free summer.
Before that, he had spent seven prolific seasons at PSG - scoring a record 256 goals - and was one of the top earners in the sport, with a reported annual earnings of €108 million (likely salary plus endorsements).
However, in a January 2024 interview with Envoy Special (as per Marca), the then Parisians captain defended his earnings:
"The truth is that I don't know exactly (how much I earn). When I was 12 years old, I also thought that in football, there was too much money. I deserve the money I earn. I didn't steal it from anyone. That's the way the world works."
His mother Fayza Lamari added:
"There is no guilt and no shame. If we could have accepted 10 billion, we would have done it because it's the system that wants that."
Six months later, Mbappe has arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu. As per Marca (via Yahoo Sports), the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner is earning €15 million net annually and will receive a signing bonus of €100-115 million over five years, apart from performance-based payouts.
How has Kylian Mbappe fared at Real Madrid so far?
Real Madrid marksman Kylian Mbappe made his much-awaited debut for the reigning La Liga and UEFA Champions League holders in the UEFA Super Cup with UEFA Europa League winners Atalanta in Warsaw last week.
Starting at the centre of a three-man attack comprising Brazilians Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes, the Frenchman opened his Los Blancos account in the 68th minute, thanks to a Jude Bellingham assist.
The goal doubled Carlo Ancelotti's side's lead, having opened the scoring nine minutes earlier through midfielder Fede Valverde, who was played on by Vinicius. The two strikes were enough to beat the Serie A side as Los Blancos became the first six-time winner of the Super Cup.
Anticipation was high as Mbappe made his La Liga debut at Mallorca last weekend. However, it proved to be a frustrating evening for the holders as Rodrygo's 13th-minute opener was cancelled out by Vedat Muriqi 40 minutes later.
Mbappe squandered a few presentable openings as Los Blancos sought a winner, with Ferland Mendy seeing red deep in stoppage time.