Winners and losers of Kylian Mbappe's move to Real Madrid

Cameron Smith

• 3 Jun 2024 18:45 BST
• 4 min read

Kylian Mbappe's move to Real Madrid has been official confirmed after he decided to leave Paris Saint-Germain.

Mbappe was set to become a free agent with his contract due to end at the end of June. After a two-year transfer saga, Real Madrid finally pounced on the world's most desirable free agent.

The Frenchman has signed a five-year contract at the Santiago Bernabeu and his arrival will have a major impact on Los Blancos presently and in the future.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the winners and losers of Mbappe joining Los Blancos.

Winner - Florentino Perez

Now that Mbappe has finally joined Real Madrid, Florentino Perez must be considered a huge winner.

The Real Madrid president has wanted to sign the Frenchman for several years and his ideology of Galactico signings has been reborn with the addition of Mbappe.

Signing the PSG star right after a Champions League triumph once more confirmed Real Madrid’s place right at the top of world football for the next decade and likely ensured Perez’s position as president at the Santiago Bernabeu is under no threat.

Loser - Vinicius Junior

Vinicius Junior’s future at Real Madrid could come into serious question now that Mbappe has joined.

They are two of the world’s very best players, but they both operate best when cutting inside from the left flank, and it remains to be seen if Vinicius and Mbappe will be able to work in the same starting XI.

Mbappe would likely replace Rodrygo in Carlo Ancelotti’s 4-4-2 diamond system, but Vinicius’ impact may also diminish if Mbappe signs.

Winner - La Liga

The impact of Jude Bellingham this season has been huge for La Liga, with the England international bringing in thousands of new eyeballs to the division.

Mbappe will likely bring a similar level of interest after departing PSG.

The France star is widely considered to be the current best player in the world and La Liga could re-establish themselves as the elite league in world football, just like in the 2010s, thanks to Mbappe's arrival.

Loser - PSG

Lionel Messi and Neymar both left PSG in 2023 and Mbappe’s potential departure this year would see them diminish as a force in the Champions League.

They are yet to realise their goal of lifting the most iconic trophy in football and their chances of finally winning it would lessen if Mbappe leaves.

Furthermore, Nasser Al-Khelaifi previously rejected a €200 million offer from Real Madrid for Mbappe and so losing him on a free transfer would be a devastating blow.

Winner - Kylian Mbappe

It’s an obvious answer, but Mbappe himself will benefit massively from joining Real Madrid.

His individual hopes of winning the Ballon d’Or would be aided hugely with a Champions League win and the Santiago Bernabeu is the best place to go in search of glory on the European stage.

Mbappe has previously stated that he was held back by the fact he played in France and a move to Real Madrid will help his chances of securing multiple Ballon d’Or victories, while his trophy cabinet from a team perspective will likely grow exponentially too.

Loser - Ligue 1

Ligue 1 have lost their talismanic figure and most marketable player in Mbappe.

The Frenchman was crucial to the success of the division from a financial perspective as things stand and Ligue 1 could suffer a major step backwards following his departure as their commercial revenue will likely decrease.

PSG will also be less likely to achieve European success without Mbappe and that could impact Ligue 1’s coefficient and see them no longer referred to as a ‘top five league’.