Paris Saint-Germain’s decision to instil Kylian Mbappe as the club’s vice-captain may have raised a few eyebrows as the Frenchman was chosen ahead of Lionel Messi.
Last month’s thrilling World Cup final was dominated by the two superstars, on opposite divides internationally. It was an understandably emotional clash with Mbappe directing the celebration of his second goal in front of Messi, on his way to bagging a hat-trick but Messi was not to be denied from winning the trophy that eluded him throughout his career.
PSG boss Christophe Galtier confirmed this week that Mbappe was now the club’s vice-captain behind captain Marquinhos in a decision that was taken at the start of the campaign. Mbappe penned a new three-year contract at the Parc des Princes last year and his increased dressing room status appears to have followed that renewal.
Yet the club’s decision appears to have overlooked Messi, who was the club captain at Barcelona for three seasons prior to his exit from the Camp Nou in 2021. The Argentine may only have been at Les Parisiens for a year, but his status, influence and experience made him a prime candidate to be a dressing room leader.
Galtier explained this week after Mbappe’s club-record five-goal haul, in which he captained the team in the absence of Marquinhos, against Pays de Cassel in the Coupe de France: "I decided that he is the second captain since the beginning of the season, he deserves to have this armband when Marquinhos is not there because he has decided to stay.
"He scored 56 goals in the calendar year. He is one of the world-class strikers, one of the best in the world. He's like that. He is formatted to score goals, he did not abuse, goals came naturally after combinations."
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Mbappe's eye-watering contract details were leaked as the Ligue 1 champions posted recorded losses of £317million for their most recent set of accounts. It was the latest problem for the striker in the French capital and comes amid his ongoing reported feud with attacking teammate Neymar.
After reports questioning his happiness, Mbappe refused to commit his future to PSG. "For now, a second World Cup. After that, I don't know," the France international said ahead of the winter tournament. The open-ended statement left more questions than answers, with the striker not addressing the situation since.
Mbappe’s decision to remain in Paris last summer and reject Madrid is believed to have been largely based on political pressure from both France and Qatar. His renewed contract only takes him up to the summer of 2024 at PSG, meaning that this summer may be the final opportunity for the club to make a transfer fee from the striker or risk losing him as a free agent.
