Kylian Mbappé Reveals Near Liverpool Move as Zidane Era

Kylian Mbappé has opened up about a key moment from his past, revealing he was "close" to joining Liverpool as an 18-year-old in 2016. The Real Madrid and France superstar made the admission while also looking ahead to a new era with Zinedine Zidane as national team coach and a fresh battle for the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

Mbappé confirmed that Liverpool made a serious push to sign him from Monaco eight years ago. He said his mother was a "big fan" of then-manager Jurgen Klopp and was deeply impressed after visiting Anfield. "She went to the city, the stadium, she met the people," Mbappé explained. "She was like, 'it's a wonderful club, everybody's so kind'." Klopp himself recounted the elaborate effort, detailing a private jet flight from Blackpool to Nice to meet the entire Mbappé family. Despite the charm offensive, the young forward chose to join Paris Saint-Germain instead, wanting to make his name in his home country first.

France begins a new chapter this week as Zinedine Zidane takes charge for the first time. His debut match is a Nations League fixture against Turkey on Friday. For Mbappé, the appointment feels like a storybook moment. He first met Zidane as a teenager during a trial for Real Madrid's youth teams. "Now he’s my national team coach. It’s like a film, but it’s amazing," Mbappé said. The team has four Nations League matches in this international break, facing Belgium twice and Italy as they build towards Euro 2028. Mbappé has started the club season strongly with eight goals in eight games for Real Madrid, though he was kept quiet in Sunday's derby defeat to Atletico Madrid.

The race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or is heating up, with Mbappé firmly in contention. He recently stated his belief that he deserves the award after an exceptional individual season. "I think I did things that were different this year, so I believe I can win it," he told L’Equipe. His main rival appears to be Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, who also believes he is worthy. Yamal said the best player in the world is either himself or Mbappé, and that he would deserve it this year due to his achievements, which include winning the World Cup with Spain. The French forward's case is built on remarkable scoring feats: 25 goals in La Liga, 15 in the Champions League, and 10 at the 2026 World Cup.

In a subtle but pointed act of commercial defiance, Mbappé deliberately moved a bottle of Gatorade out of the camera's frame during a Real Madrid press conference on Monday. This was not a casual gesture. The France captain has a long-standing policy of guarding his image rights and refuses to promote ultra-processed foods or sugary drinks. His action echoes a similar protest started by NBA legend LeBron James over a decade ago.

• Mbappé confirmed Liverpool's intense 2016 recruitment effort, which included a private jet meeting with his family.
• Zinedine Zidane will manage France for the first time in a Nations League match against Turkey on Friday.
• Mbappé's Ballon d'Or claim is backed by 50 combined goals in La Liga and the Champions League last season.
• The star removed a sponsor's product from view, continuing a protest against mandatory commercial endorsements.