Kylian Mbappé has explained for the first time why he chose Paris Saint-Germain over Liverpool in 2017, despite strong encouragement from his mother and co-representative, Fayza Lamari.

At the time, Liverpool had made a serious push for the forward, with Jürgen Klopp winning over Lamari during the pursuit. She visited the city, the stadium and met the people, and came away convinced the club was special. Mbappé recalled how firmly she backed the move, saying: “My mom was a big fan of Jürgen Klopp and the favourite destination for my mom was Liverpool . She wanted me to go there,” Mbappé told The Athletic . “I didn’t listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris. I didn’t want to leave my country before I was someone. But yes, my mom was always saying ‘Liverpool—you’re going to be there, playing at Anfield, it’s going to be insane for you.’ I was like, ‘O.K.!’

“She went there [for] the first step of the negotiations. She went to the city, she went to the stadium, she met the people. She was like, ‘It’s a wonderful club, everybody’s so kind, it’s a family club, a big club.’

“She went to Anfield and fell in love with it. She watched a few games alone, to feel the atmosphere, because she wanted to imagine me in this stadium.

“All the time we were talking. ‘What do you think, Mom?’ She’d say, ‘For me, you have to go to Liverpool. I said, ‘O.K., O.K., O.K.!’ because Jürgen Klopp was an amazing manager. I met him and had a wonderful relationship with him. I had big respect for him.”

Klopp later described the attempt as “the most expensive non-transfer we [Liverpool] invested in,” and recalled the unusual private-jet meetings that took place during the chase. But Mbappé made clear that his mind was elsewhere. “I said to him, ‘Whatever decision I take is going to be a good decision because we are talking about some of the biggest clubs in the world.’

“It’s a funny story. But in the end I took the decision to go to PSG because for me, born and raised in Paris, there was no better feeling than to show I could be a star in my home town.”

His mother had one final reaction after the PSG move. “You’re a genius at football, Kylian,” Mbappé’s mother told him in the summer of 2017 when he moved to PSG. “Aren’t you going to be bored in Ligue 1?”

The 2026 Ballon d’Or will spotlight the game’s biggest prizes across the men’s and women’s competitions, with several of Europe’s leading clubs heavily represented on the shortlists.

Paris Saint-Germain headline the men’s field with a remarkable 10 nominations for the Men’s Ballon d’Or, while Barcelona lead overall with 20 nominees across the available categories. Bayern Munich stand alone as the only club to be nominated for both the Men’s and Women’s Club of the Year award. Arsenal, the defending English champions, appear in every men’s category except the Kopa Trophy.

PSG’s list is stacked with Ousmane Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Willian Pacho, Fabián Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Vitinha all named for the Men’s Ballon d’Or. Warren Zaïre-Emery is in line for the Kopa Trophy, Matvey Safonov is on the Yashin Trophy list, Luis Enrique is nominated for Men’s Coach of the Year, and PSG are up for Men’s Club of the Year.

Arsenal’s nominations are more concentrated, with Gabriel, Declan Rice and William Saliba all shortlisted for the Men’s Ballon d’Or. Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo are both in the running for the Women’s Ballon d’Or, David Raya is up for the Yashin Trophy, Mikel Arteta is nominated for Men’s Coach of the Year, and Arsenal are in the Club of the Year conversation.

Barcelona’s nominations span both squads, with Pau Cubarsí, Rodri, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal among the men’s names, while their women’s representatives include Esmee Brugts, Cata Coll, Caroline Graham Hansen, Patri Guijarro, Mapi Leion, Ewa Pajor, Claudia Pina and Alexia Putellas. Vicky López and Clara Serrajordi are on the Women’s Kopa Trophy list, Joan García is nominated for the Yashin Trophy, Pere Romeu is in the Coach of the Year race, and Barcelona are favourites for Women’s Club of the Year.

Bayern’s strongest men’s nominees are Harry Kane, Luis Díaz, Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano, while Klara Bühl, Pernille Harder and Momoko Tanikawa feature on the women’s side. Lennart Karl is on the Kopa Trophy shortlist and Vincent Kompany is up for Men’s Coach of the Year.

Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City also have notable representation across the awards, underlining how widely the nominations are spread among Europe’s leading clubs.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlists have been published, with both the men’s and women’s prizes now taking shape after the latest nominations were confirmed.

Lionel Messi is among the leading names on the men’s list as he targets a ninth Ballon d’Or, while 2024 winner Rodri also returns to contention after a Golden Ball-winning summer at the World Cup with Spain. The 30-player men’s shortlist features a heavy concentration of familiar elite names, including Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal.

Paris Saint-Germain are particularly well represented, with 10 nominees among the men’s field. Ousmane Dembélé is aiming to defend the prize, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Willian Pacho, Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha and Lionel Messi all appear on the list. Real Madrid also have a strong presence, with Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Bellingham and Marc Cucurella included.

The women’s shortlist is equally competitive, although injuries have ruled Aitana Bonmatí out of a chance to claim a fourth straight Ballon d’Or Féminin. That absence leaves the door open for a first-time winner, or just the fifth different player ever to take the prize. Barcelona remain prominent through Ewa Pajor, Patri Guijarro and Caroline Graham Hansen, while Alexia Putellas is also in the frame after her summer move to London City Lionesses.

Elsewhere, the Kopa Trophy races include defending men’s winner Lamine Yamal and 2025 women’s winner Vicky López. The goalkeeper awards feature David Raya, Thibaut Courtois and Joan García among the men, with Hannah Hampton, Ann-Katrin Berger and Cata Coll back in the women’s contest.

The coach and club categories are similarly packed. PSG, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Flamengo and Bodø/Glimt are among the men’s club nominees, while Barcelona lead the women’s club conversation alongside Bayern Munich, Man City, OL Lyonnes and Club América.