Mbappé bids farewell to Paris Saint-Germain fans with a goal and a loss

International striker Kylian Mbappé scored a goal in his final match at the Parc des Princes stadium for Paris Saint-Germain, but the team suffered a 1-3 loss to Toulouse in the penultimate match of the thirty-third round of the French Football League. Mbappé’s departure was formalized two days prior, ending his seven-season tenure with the club.

Mbappé leaves PSG without announcing his next destination, although it is widely expected to be Real Madrid in Spain.

The defeat against Toulouse marked only PSG’s second loss in the league this season, leaving them with a total of 70 points.

Before the match, Paris fans raised a banner that read, “A child from the suburbs of Paris, who became a Paris Saint-Germain legend,” as a tribute to Mbappé. This followed another banner thanking Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, whose contract also expires this summer.

Mbappé approached the stands as the banner was raised, greeting and taking pictures with fans after they unveiled a larger banner featuring his picture.

He then opened the scoring by calmly finishing a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper, courtesy of a long pass from Spanish goalkeeper Arnau Tinas. The goal was confirmed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) (8).

This goal brought Mbappé’s tally to 27 goals in 29 league matches this season, and 256 goals in all competitions since joining the club, achieved in his 306th match.

Before the match, Paris Saint-Germain had not announced any formal honors for Mbappé, despite his numerous achievements. Despite his remarkable records, Mbappé was unable to lead the club to its first Champions League title in history.

The club views Mbappé’s departure announcement as a non-event, having prepared for the post-Mbappé era since he informed them of his decision in February. Similarly, for his large fan base, the widely reported announcement is not a surprise.”

During Sunday evening’s match against Toulouse, not all fans shared the same sentiments towards the player, who experienced division and occasional upset during his seven years at Paris Saint-Germain.

This sentiment was particularly evident in his final season, marked by an early announcement of his departure and his relatively modest performance in the Champions League, especially during the semi-final elimination against Borussia Dortmund at the Parc des Princes stadium.

Jean-Baptiste Guégan, author of the book “The Mbappé Revolution” and a member of the “Paris United” group, criticized the international striker, stating, “We are talking about a 25-year-old footballer who will leave without elegance, as depicted in a video characterized by insistence, obligation, and tension.

On the contrary, former Paris Saint-Germain player and former Belgian international Thomas Meunier, who played with Mbappé, praised him in the newspaper L’Equipe: ‘Kylian is the number 1 in the history of Paris Saint-Germain. On the field, in the media, in his charisma… He is Mbappé.’

Meunier further emphasized, ‘You don’t realize what it’s like for a young player to start at the highest level and maintain that pace year after year. There are not many players like that. Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar… I think I can name ten… In this case, even ten is too many