Kylian Mbappé is already planning for life after football at 27. But leading the French Fifth Republic isn’t on the list — and he made that clear with a characteristically blunt remark.
In a wide-ranging interview with Le Parisien, the Real Madrid forward and newly minted France captain dismissed any notion he might one day campaign for the presidency. “I have a lot of possibilities for after my career. I have a business which has grown well. If I want to be a businessman, I’ll be a businessman. If I want to have bigger aspirations, I’ll have bigger aspirations,” Mbappé said.
Pressed on whether “bigger aspirations” could mean a run at the Élysée Palace, he didn’t mince words: “No, don’t worry! I am not talking about being President. Quite a lot of people say that, but it isn’t in my plans. I am hated enough as it is!”
The joke lands with a layer of truth. Mbappé has not shied away from political engagement. Before Euro 2024, he publicly urged young French voters to reject the far-right — a rare and direct intervention from a sitting star. That stance drew backlash from former French great Michel Platini, though his manager Didier Deschamps has publicly defended him.
Now preparing for his third World Cup, Mbappé enters the tournament as captain for the first time. He won it all in 2018 and famously scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final, only to fall short against Argentina on penalties. The stakes are higher this time, with Les Bleus chasing a third star and Mbappé carrying the armband and the weight of expectation.
Still, he insists his vision for the future leans toward business, not ballots. His private investment firm, which has already backed several startups, gives him a plausible path out of the spotlight. For a player who has dealt with scrutiny — and outright hostility — since his teenage years, the corporate world may offer a quieter kind of legacy.
“I have a business which has grown well,” Mbappé said. That understated line likely undersells his holdings. But it also reflects a man who wants control over his second act, free from the political hate he’s already experienced.
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