Why is Mbappe leaving PSG? Issues with contract, Neymar, more

As Kylian Mbappe left the pitch at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night after a disappointing and underwhelming 1-1 draw with Benfica, he knew the cameras were all focused on him. The world was watching, and to be fair, they had been since he got off the Paris Saint-Germain team bus with Achraf Hakimi, his friend and teammate, almost four hours earlier.

All day on Tuesday, the world of football belonged to Mbappe, which is maybe what he wanted. He monopolised all the attention. He was the focus of all the pregame talk, all the TV shows, all the radio shows and all the newspaper columns, and he was a major topic on social media. When news broke early afternoon, European time, of his intention to leave PSG, all hell broke loose!

Exactly 143 days after signing a three-year deal (two years, with an option for a third) with the club, the 23-year-old has now decided to leave in January, as sources told ESPN. He feels betrayed by all the promises made, but not kept, by PSG when he extended his contract. He feels that above all else, he has been let down by the club. He was supposed to be the heart of the project, though he doesn’t believe that reflects the present reality at the club.

At 23, he made a huge call by staying in the French capital last summer and by pledging his future (albeit in the short-term) there instead of going to Real Madrid. Now, he regrets his choice and believes it was a mistake, sources told ESPN. It is mostly because of the football, but as Mbappe’s entourage puts it, the issues go well beyond that.

Despite being top of the table in Ligue 1 and in their Champions League group, despite the 15-game unbeaten run so far this season, despite his 12 goals in all competitions already this campaign, he is not happy and PSG’s results are not a fair reflection of the reality. The team are not playing well. There are issues everywhere, whether it’s the perceived lack of ideas and tactical knowledge of manager Christophe Galtier, the injury to