And so, they meet again. A year after his acrimonious departure from Paris Saint-Germain to join Real Madrid on a free transfer, Kylian Mbapp will face his former team for the first time on Wednesday at MetLife Stadium in the Club World Cup semifinals. It will be a bit special, a bit tense and quite nostalgic too.
It's special because the Paris-born prodigy spent seven years at the Parc des Princes, with many highs and lows. He loves the club -- always has, and always will -- just like his family does. His dad, Wilfrid, was in attendance last Saturday as PSG beat Bayern Munich in Atlanta.
Mbapp felt it was the right time for him to leave the French capital to realise his dream of playing at the Bernabeu, and no one can really blame him for it. But what makes this reunion particularly special isn't what PSG are missing since he left, but what PSG have become without him. They've become arguably the best club team in the world in 2025 -- a proper team with no dominant stars and where everyone plays for each other, attacking and defending together.
However, it will also be a tense reunion because the Mbapp camp are still involved in an acrimonious legal battle with PSG over unpaid wages and bonuses. The France captain demands the payment of 55m euros that he says the club owes him from his last season. PSG argue that Kylian verbally agreed to waive this amount when he took the decision to leave the club for Madrid without a transfer fee. With lawyers involved, this won't be resolved anytime soon.
Regardless, Mbapp and PSG president Nasser al-Khelafi will meet again on Wednesday for the first time in a year. They will not ignore each other and intend to shake hands, a source on both sides tells ESPN, but there is still bad blood between them. Al-Khelafi still resents the way his protg left him and the club, even if he had some kind words for him last month. "We have been lucky without him this year but I wish him all the best in Madrid, from the bottom of my heart."
Finally, it will be a nostalgic encounter because for all the legal issues, Mbapp is a PSG legend. Scoring 256 goals in 308 games for the club is exceptional. If you add his assists, he's responsible for more than a goal involvement per game, which is incredible over seven long seasons.
Mbapp was often unplayable in the PSG shirt. He was way too good for Ligue 1 and racked up many domestic trophies -- six league titles, four Coupes de France, two Coupes de la Ligue and three Trophes des Champions -- but the Holy Grail, a UEFA Champions League title, eluded him. He was brought to Paris to win that competition, but couldn't manage it despite reaching the final once, in 2019, and two semifinals (2020-21, 2023-24). This is the irony: Paris got better and stronger after Mbapp, one of the best players in the world, left, and the club won the 2024-25 Champions League.
In his absence, others have stepped up, starting by Ousmane Dembl. The PSG No. 10 is arguably the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or in September after a wonderful second half of the season as their centerforward. The 28-year-old scored 34 goals and provided 13 assists in 51 games in all competitions this season. He was decisive in the Champions League last-16 against Liverpool (one goal), quarterfinals against Aston Villa (two assists), semifinals against Arsenal (one goal, one assist) and final against Inter Milan (two assists) as well as in the Club World Cup quarterfinal against Bayern Munich (one goal). He has an impact in every big game.
Luis Enrique, the PSG manager, made Dembl the centre of his system and the leader of his attack. The main thing is that the manager got Dembl to do what he could not get Mbapp to do. After the Champions League final, a 5-0 rout of Inter Milan in which the France international was monstrous with the ball and without it, given his pressing, the Spaniard said "I would give the Ballon d'Or to Dembl for the way he defended in this final. That's what you call leading a team.
"I sincerely believe he deserves the Ballon d'Or, without a doubt, not just for the titles he won or the goals he scored, but for his pressing."
Ten months ago, in a video that went viral before the Champions League quarterfinal, second leg, away at Barcelona, Luis Enrique tried to convince Mbapp to do the same.
"I hear you like Michael Jordan. He was known for holding his teammates accountable and defending like a beast. You need to take that approach. Not just as a player, but as a leader on the field. You've got to press (...) Why? Because that's how you become a leader.
"You think your job is just to score goals for us, and sure, you're an incredible, world-class player. But that's not enough for me."
Alongside Dembl, other players have impressed under Luis Enrique. The midfield trio has grown exponentially throughout the season, with Vitinha, Jo�o Neves and Fabin Ruiz complementing each other, rotate and switch positions has been incredible. Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes have become the best fullback pair by their activity on the pitch, defensively and offensively, while Dsir Dou has evolved from being a squad player in Rennes a year ago to being the best U-20 player in the world with Barcelona's Lamine Yamal.
The concept of relationism, a new trend in football, has been adapted by Luis Enrique to fit into his concept of positional play, which he inherited from his years at Barcelona as a player and a manager. "Fluidity within the structure" is the best way of defining this PSG style, and his players have mastered it.
Now, Mbapp and Real Madrid are the last obstacle between them and yet another final this season, their fourth after the French Super Cup (won against Monaco), the French Cup (won against Reims) and the Champions League (won against Inter Milan) and between them and a fifth title already with Ligue 1.
One final note: This will be Mbapp's fifth game against PSG. The first four were all when he still played for Monaco at the start of his career. His record? One win, one draw and two losses, and no goals.
