Kylian Mbappe bid farewell to Paris Saint-Germain with a goal in his final home game, but the French champions suffered a surprising 3-1 defeat against Toulouse on the night they were presented with the Ligue 1 championship trophy.
Mbappe had announced his departure from PSG in a social media video posted on Friday, confirming his exit when his contract expires at the end of the season after a seven-year tenure with the club. Real Madrid is widely speculated to be his next destination, following his private notification to PSG of his intention to move on back in February.
In his last home appearance, Mbappe, wearing the captain’s armband, opened the scoring early on, bringing his season tally to 44 goals across all competitions. However, Toulouse quickly equalized, eventually taking the lead with a remarkable strike from Yann Gboho in the second half. Frank Magri sealed the win for Toulouse in stoppage time.
Despite Mbappe’s record-breaking tenure at PSG, where he amassed 256 goals since joining from Monaco in 2017, his departure marks the end of an era. Coach Luis Enrique described him as a “club legend” ahead of the game. While celebrations after the match were dedicated to PSG’s title triumph, Mbappe received mixed reactions from the crowd, with some jeers during the pre-match team announcements. Nonetheless, a huge display honoring Mbappe was unveiled before kick-off, depicting him in a trademark pose with folded arms.
“I heard applause, the supporters paid him a deserved tribute, he is a club legend despite his youth,” said Luis Enrique who described the banner as “beautiful”.
The Qatar-owned club had already wrapped up a record-extending 12th French title, and 10th in 12 years, before hosting a Toulouse side who were themselves safe from any lingering threat of relegation.
Despite Kylian Mbappe’s departure from PSG without securing the Champions League trophy, he will aim to achieve European success at his next club. PSG still have the opportunity to clinch domestic honors, with a chance to complete a clean sweep by facing Lyon in the French Cup final on May 25. Additionally, having already won the Ligue 1 title and the Champions Trophy, PSG aims to finish the season on a high note.
Monaco secured second place and automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League with a 2-0 victory over Montpellier. Lille moved up to third place, overtaking Brest on goal difference, following a 2-1 win against Nantes. The top three teams in Ligue 1 directly qualify for the Champions League, while the fourth-placed team enters the competition in the preliminary rounds.
Nice, currently fifth, still have a chance of finishing in the top four and securing Champions League qualification before hosting PSG in their midweek fixture. In other matches, Lens drew against Rennes, Marseille defeated Lorient, and Lyon secured a victory over Clermont to remain in the European picture.
At the bottom of the table, Clermont’s relegation was confirmed, while Lorient is almost certain to follow suit. With one game remaining and trailing Metz by three points with an inferior goal difference, Lorient is likely to enter a relegation playoff against a team from Ligue 2.
