Despite achieving sporting superstardom, Mbappé has not allowed the dizzying heights of fame to pull him away from his roots or his principles.
Upon arriving in France’s top flight, he made a point of taking on a number of charitable engagements; attending numerous fundraisers, visiting disadvantaged communities to play football with young kids and giving away considerable sums of money to help those in need.
He donated the entirety of his salary for France’s victorious World Cup campaign in 2018 – roughly £400,000 – to a children’s charity, telling TIME Magazine: ‘I did not need to be paid. I was there to defend the colours of the country.
‘I earn enough money – a lot of money. So I think it is important to help those who are in need. A lot of people are suffering… for people like us, giving a helping hand to people is not a big thing.’
To this day, he reportedly forgoes his France match fees.
Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward Kylian Mbappe takes part in a football match with children from the ‘Premiers de Cordee’ Association at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on May 22, 2019
Kylian Mbappé hid Budweiser’s name after winning the player of the match against Australia
In 2020, he set up charitable foundation Inspired by KM, which supports 98 disadvantaged children from a range of backgrounds through school until they begin working, and provides funding to give them access to a variety of extracurricular activities.
And as Mbappé has grown older, his guiding principles have become even more apparent.
He has been outspoken in his condemnation of vices like gambling, alcohol and fast food, choosing not to sign any sponsorship deals with companies involved in industries he deems harmful.
Mbappé got into a row with the French Football Federation (FFF) after he led a boycott of certain sponsors back in March as he did not want to be associated with particular brands.
The FFF struck a £7m deal with online sports betting company Betclic last year, with that contract running through until the 2026 World Cup, and also has ties with KFC, Uber Eats and Coca-Cola.
In Qatar, Mbappé has been deliberately hiding Budweiser’s name in his man of the match photographs to avoid promoting alcohol at the World Cup.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
