Now firmly established as a leader for both Real Madrid and the French national team, Kylian Mbappe is one of the most successful soccer players of his generation. But his journey hasn’t been without setbacks — including the 2022 World Cup final loss to Argentina. And yet, that’s not the game he remembers as his toughest.
In a recent interview with L’Equipe, Mbappe offered a rare glimpse into his more vulnerable side. “The last time I cried about soccer… I only cry when I’m injured. I guess defeats, in one way or another, you deserve them. No one deserves an injury,” he began.
“But the last time I nearly cried over soccer was when we lost with PSG against Manchester City, in the second leg of the semifinal,” Kylian said, referring to the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League. Back then, the French side was still chasing its first European title and couldn’t get past the Citizens, who won the tie 4–1 on aggregate.
That day, Mbappe didn’t play a single minute due to a calf injury suffered days earlier. Instead, he had to watch from the bench as his teammates lost 2–0 at Etihad Stadium. “I wasn’t playing. So I almost cried because… you’re useless. On the bench, you feel like a VIP contest winner. In those moments, what makes you different from the millions watching on TV? Nothing,” the forward reflected.
Kylian Mbappe looks on from the bench during the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League Semi Final Second Leg match between Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
The biggest missing piece in Mbappe’s career
At just 26 years old, Mbappe has already won 20 titles across his career with AS Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and the French national team. Still, he’s experienced painful defeats — and one major achievement continues to elude him.
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The forward has yet to win the UEFA Champions League. He’s come close three times with PSG: the aforementioned loss to Manchester City in the 2021 semifinals; a year earlier, an even more crushing defeat in the final against Bayern Munich; and most recently, a 2024 semifinal loss to Borussia Dortmund.
That’s why it’s no surprise he singled out a Champions League exit as one of the most painful moments he’s faced — rather than the heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final. Having already won the World Cup with France in 2018, that wound seems to have healed more easily.
Mbappe reacts to PSG’s success without him
Given how important the Champions League has been to Mbappe, it’s somewhat ironic that PSG finally won it in their first season after his departure to Real Madrid. In the interview with L’Equipe, Kylian was asked if it bothered him to see his former club reach European glory this summer.
“I have friends on the team, and anyone who knows me knows friendship matters to me. You can’t turn your back on a team where your friends play, even if it’s not PSG,” said Mbappe. “My story ended and I left without regrets. Even the things I did wrong are part of my story. When I played there, we came really close — two semifinals and a final. We didn’t win, and my time was up.”
