Will Mbappe eclipse Ronaldo and Messi in the billionaire club?
It also sparked plenty of debate about whether the striker could eventually overhaul Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the career earnings stakes.
That illustrious duo are the only soccer players who currently feature on the list of billion-dollar athletes, but Mbappe is well on the way to achieving the feat.
Ronaldo was the first active team-sport athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings in 2020, and his lifetime deal with Nike will keep the cash tills ringing long after he finishes playing.
The Portuguese star has also built up an impressive portfolio of businesses under his own CR7 brand which includes clothing, hotels and fitness facilities.
As one of the most marketable athletes on social media, Ronaldo’s earning potential should keep his accountant happy for many years to come.
It is a similar story where Messi is concerned, with Argentinian maestro’s $130m annual earnings putting at the top of the tree in professional sports.
His endorsement portfolio includes global brands such as PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch InBev and adidas, all of which will keep his bank balance in the black.
Messi also became Hard Rock International’s first athlete brand ambassador in 2021, further boosting his annual earnings.
While Mbappe looks nailed on to join Ronaldo and Messi in the billionaire club, eclipsing them could be a little more difficult.
The 23-year-old’s new three-year deal is reportedly worth more than $4.5 million per month, while a $113 signing-on fee took PSG’s outlay even higher.
Mbappe has also built up an impressive array of endorsements including Electronic Arts, Hublot and Nike, and many other brands are eager to work with him.
However, while Ronaldo and Messi endeared themselves to soccer fans globally with their performances at the top level, it would be fair to say that Mbappe is not loved in the same way.
The French international striker has a reputation for being surly, while the influence he now wields at PSG has met with plenty of criticism.
The appointment of Luis Campos as sporting director came as a direct result of his relationship with Mbappe from their time together at Monaco.
Although he is undoubtedly the jewel in PSG’s crown, handing a player too much power in a football club is a dangerous road to head down.
From a reputational point of view, Mbappe’s status in soccer is not helped by the fact that he has chosen to remain in Ligue 1.
The French top flight is widely rated as the weakest of the ‘Big Five’ leagues in Europe, meaning Mbappe is not testing himself in the same way Ronaldo and Messi have.
On that basis, Mbappe’s best chance of eclipsing Ronaldo and Messi in the billionaire club has to be a future move to Real Madrid.
Mbappe’s previous move to Madrid collapsed due to the contract offer and project presented by PSG, and while PSG have their sights set on becoming a major global brand in their own right, the source of their wealth will always leave question marks hanging over them.
By contrast, Madrid’s respected status would fire Mbappe into another stratosphere commercially and boost his chances of becoming soccer’s richest ever player.