Kylian Mbappe is a superstar hailed by many but all the attention is on his off-field antics… Sharp and astute, he has outmanoeuvred both PSG and Real Madrid ahead of his inevitable move to Spain next year

From the dozens of fans on the Eurostar, to the security guard shouting ‘Allez les Bleus’ as he entered Gare du Nord, to the posters and promotions spread across the city, Paris has caught rugby fever.

But even if France win the World Cup final at the Stade de France on October 29, none of their stars will eclipse the profile of the man who led his country to the Parc des Princes on Thursday evening.

To many, especially France’s younger generation, Kylian Mbappé is a hero, one of the greatest athletes in French history. To others, he is a wealthy prima donna who has given Paris St Germain a happy dance over the past two summers.

“Without him we wouldn’t have come close to winning the World Cup,” said Frederic, who is in town to watch France’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Ireland and recall Mbappe’s hat-trick in the final last December against Argentina, although he could not prevent the defeat on 2024. Fines.

“Of course, he’s a great football player,” Marie counters. ‘But maybe there’s a little too much noise around him now. He has become as much of a global brand as he is a sportsman.’

To others, however, he has led PSG into a happy dance over his contract over the past two years

“Mbappe?” asks a Parisian taxi driver. ‘He’s a man with a lot of money, and it occurred to him from a very young age. That can’t be easy.’

Watching Mbappé on Thursday, you had to imagine what it would have felt like to experience the Elvis Presley phenomenon, or Beatlemania at its peak. When he curled one in from the bar during warm-ups, excited shouts filled the air.

When he waved to a group of fans midway through a passing drill with Ousmane Dembele, they again reacted like giddy teenagers. Yet the best in the world was the worst on the pitch in the first half.

Mbappé was all ego, wandering where he pleased, demanding the ball in strange areas, slowing down the game and trying flashy tricks where simplicity was required. So talented is the 24-year-old that he still impressed in the second half, but the captain’s focus seemed to be more on himself than his team.

This also plays a role in Mbappé’s approach off the field. When you speak to those who follow Mbappe closely, you understand his desire to have complete control over every aspect of his career – the owner and CEO of ‘Brand Mbappe’. It is not enough to simply be the best footballer in the world.

In this way, the 24-year-old looks more like a top actor or musician, or an American superstar like Tom Brady or LeBron James.

He wants to have the final say on his own transfers and also influence Paris St Germain’s recruitment strategy. If Mbappé truly believes that PSG should rely less on superstars and rely more on French talent, then the club has certainly listened. Lionel Messi and Neymar have left and Dembele, Lucas Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani have arrived, while PSG also looked at Marcus Thuram before his move to Inter Milan. They are all Mbappé’s colleagues on the national side.

Nor will Mbappé simply allow marketing experts or agents to take charge of his commercial endorsements and how his image is managed.

The forward wants to have complete control over every aspect of his career, including his club’s transfers

A year ago, Mbappé did not participate in a photo shoot in a reported row over his image rights

During the World Cup in Qatar, he turned over the ‘Player of the Match’ trophy so that the sponsor’s logo (Budweiser) could not be seen in official photos

A year ago, Mbappe did not take part in a photo shoot with the rest of the national team in a reported row over image rights, with suggestions that Mbappe was uncomfortable with the French Football Federation’s partnerships with gambling and fast food companies.

He has used his social media account to criticize an online gambling company and when he collected man-of-the-match awards in Qatar, Mbappe twirled the trophy in official photos, displaying the logo of a beer manufacturer hid.

Mbappe is a sharp, educated man who speaks excellent English and has struck up a friendship with Madrid-born PSG teammate Achraf Hakimi, largely because he also has an impressive grasp of Spanish. When Mbappe broke through at Monaco as an 18-year-old, club officials noted that he seemed smarter and more mature than players 10 years older.

He is also politically astute: when Antoine Griezmann was overlooked in favor of Mbappé as France captain, Mbappé spoke warmly of Griezmann’s leadership qualities at every opportunity. It felt significant that Griezmann, instead of Mbappe, attended the pre-match press conference for the match against Ireland, which is normally held by the coach and captain.

On being chosen over Antoine Griezmann (left) as France’s next captain, Mbappé spoke highly of his colleague’s leadership qualities

But if Mbappe has become too big for his boots, then that’s probably allowed. Those allowed to interview him were stunned by the size of the entourage – about 20 people in the room with him, including friends, relatives and support staff. Mother Fayza Lamari and lawyer Delphine Verheyden have great influence within the operation.

Then there is PSG, who have played extremely poorly. Why did they let their star man, when he signed a new contract last year, hold up a shirt with ‘Mbappe 2025’ on the back?

Mbappé signed a two-year contract, with the option of an extra year in his favor – rather than the club’s – so ‘2025’ was always a misconception. No wonder Mbappé felt uncomfortable during the presentation.

When he signed a new contract with PSG, he held a shirt with ‘Mbappe 2025’ on the back – the deal did not expire until 2025

It was believed that the attacker did not feel comfortable with the shirt during the presentation

Why was a loyalty bonus worth £68m after tax written into such a short contract? Why did PSG, when leaving him out of the pre-season tour to Japan, take the position that Mbappe would sign or be sold?

There was always a third – and most likely – possibility: Mbappé would leave for Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of the season. Deep down, even PSG seem to realize that now, and their stance has certainly thawed since Mbappe was reinstated into the first team.

Mbappé seems to have outsmarted them all. He has proven smarter than PSG, who gave him a huge new contract but are still likely to lose him on a free transfer.

PSG wanted the 24-year-old to sign a new contract or leave – neither of which happened

He will probably leave the French club for Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of the season

Smarter than Real Madrid, where he arrives on his own terms and effectively writes his own contract.

Smarter than Al-Hilal, whose staggering £170m annual salary offer he ignored despite PSG accepting the Saudi Pro League club’s £260m bid.

Provided there are no more late twists, it will be fascinating to see what happens when the world’s biggest sports brand joins forces with one of its biggest sporting institutions in La Liga next season. If Madrid thought Cristiano Ronaldo was big business, they haven’t seen anything yet.

For the rest of his career, Mbappe will certainly have what he wants, when he wants it, but at what cost? Every rich hero longs for that which no amount of money can buy: love. The dozens of ‘Mbappé 10’ shirts on display at the Parc des Princes on Thursday prove that he is still widely adored. However, he would be wise not to take this for granted and he strives for perfection on and off the pitch.