Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens have expressed skepticism regarding claims that Kylian Mbappé is sidelining France in a bid to secure the 2025 Ballon d’Or. The conversation also raised questions about whether Mbappé requested to participate only in key matches for France.
On Tuesday, representatives for Kylian Mbappé, the captain of the French national team and a forward for Real Madrid, categorically denied allegations of rape against him. These statements came following reports of an investigation into an incident that allegedly took place in a hotel in Stockholm.
Swedish prosecutors confirmed they had opened a probe related to a reported rape incident in central Stockholm but did not disclose the identity of any suspect.
Multiple Swedish media outlets, including SVT, Expressen, and Aftonbladet, cited unnamed sources stating that the 25-year-old Mbappé was being investigated in connection with the case. Following these reports, Mbappé’s representatives labeled the allegations as “totally false” and termed them “slanderous rumors.” They condemned the spread of such claims as unacceptable.
“Kylian Mbappé will under no circumstances tolerate his integrity, reputation, and honor being tarnished by unfounded insinuations,” his representatives stated in a comment provided to Reuters.
Mbappé’s lawyer, Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard, emphasized to a French television channel that they were unaware of who the complaint was directed against and expressed confidence in Mbappé’s innocence. She noted that he is often accompanied by others and excluded any possibility of his involvement in reprehensible conduct. Canu-Bernard mentioned that Mbappé remains calm but is astonished by the media attention surrounding the case, asserting that he has done nothing wrong and indicating that he would cooperate with Swedish authorities if needed.
Although Mbappé missed recent matches for France against Israel and Belgium due to a muscle injury, he did post on social media regarding the situation, calling the claims “Fake News!!!!”
Reportedly, Mbappé was in Sweden for a private trip with friends last week and departed the country on Friday. The following day, authorities received a report regarding the allegations from an unidentified victim.
In a statement, the Swedish Prosecution Authority confirmed that a criminal report about a suspected rape had been filed with the police. However, the agency did not provide further details on the victim’s identity or the specific circumstances of the alleged incident.
According to sources reporting to SVT and Expressen, the level of suspicion towards Mbappé from investigators is classified as “reasonable,” which is the lower standard in the Swedish legal system. This contrasts with a higher threshold of “probable suspicion” that is generally required for someone to be taken into custody.
As of now, Mbappé returned to training with his Real Madrid teammates on Tuesday. The club has not yet commented on whether they were aware of the investigation or if they have been approached by Swedish authorities.