As PSG’s longtime talisman Kylian Mbappe thrives in Madrid, questions swirl: Could he one day return—not to PSG, but to a bitter rival?
For over a decade, Paris Saint-Germain stood unchallenged at the summit of French soccer, both domestically and symbolically. Yet beneath the glamour of Champions League semifinals, Qatari wealth, and global superstars like Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe, the city of Paris lacked something fundamental—a true soccer rivalry.
That void, however, may finally be filled.
A mysterious new chapter is unfolding in the French capital, one that could dramatically shift the city’s sporting narrative. And at the center of it all is Paris FC, a once-overlooked club reborn under the gaze of Bernard Arnault, one of the world’s richest men, and backed by the strategic muscle of Red Bull. As PSG’s longtime talisman Kylian Mbappe thrives in Madrid, questions swirl: Could he one day return—not to PSG, but to a bitter rival?
For decades, Paris FC lived in PSG’s long shadow, rarely making headlines and spending most of its modern history outside France’s top flight. That changed dramatically in November 2024, when LVMH founder Bernard Arnault, with a fortune estimated at $190 billion, acquired a 52.4% majority stake in the club. In partnership with Red Bull, which now holds an 11% stake and oversees sporting strategy, the club’s fortunes transformed almost overnight.
By May 2025, Paris FC sealed promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time in 36 years, ending a long exile with a 1-1 draw at Martigues. The dream that once seemed impossible—creating a second soccer powerhouse in the French capital—is now alive. “It is an ambitious project but not an unrealistic one,” Arnault stated when the deal was unveiled, setting the tone for a long-term vision.
What did Paris FC say?
Naturally, with financial clout and momentum on their side, whispers began to surface about the Blues’ possibly chasing some of France’s biggest names. Chief among them: Kylian Mbappe, the prodigal son of Parisian soccer who left PSG for Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 after seven electrifying yet turbulent seasons.
But the team has other plans. In an interview with L’Equipe, Michel Denisot, a member of the club’s administrative council, addressed the rumors surrounding a sensational Mbappe return to the French capital. “The idea is not to bring Mbappe back to Paris,” Denisot stated firmly. “The idea is rather to build a team of players coming, as much as possible, from the Paris region.”
That philosophy may not ignite the instant glamour of a superstar signing, but it strikes at the heart of what Paris FC is trying to become: a homegrown, identity-driven alternative to PSG’s glitzy approach.
