Mbappe Says He Spoke with Liverpool before Signing PSG Extension

Paris Saint Germain's Kylian Mbappe poses with a PSG jersey after his press conference at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, 23 May 2022. (EPA)
Paris Saint Germain's Kylian Mbappe poses with a PSG jersey after his press conference at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, 23 May 2022. (EPA)
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Mbappe Says He Spoke with Liverpool before Signing PSG Extension

Paris Saint Germain's Kylian Mbappe poses with a PSG jersey after his press conference at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, 23 May 2022. (EPA)
Paris Saint Germain's Kylian Mbappe poses with a PSG jersey after his press conference at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, 23 May 2022. (EPA)

Kylian Mbappe said Liverpool were one of the clubs he spoke to before deciding to extend his stay at Paris St. Germain, and that he had also met with the Premier League side in 2017 when he was still at Monaco.

Mbappe had been widely tipped to join Real Madrid this summer but stunned the Spanish champions by signing a contract extension until 2025 with PSG last week.

Juergen Klopp said earlier this month that Liverpool were interested in Mbappe and the player said there had been some contact.

"We talked a little bit, but not too much," Mbappe told the Daily Telegraph. "I talked to Liverpool because it's the favorite club of my mum, my mum loves Liverpool. I don't know why, you will have to ask her.

"It's a good club and we met them five years ago. When I was in Monaco I met them. It's a big club. Of course, it was between Real Madrid and Paris St. Germain in the end."

Liverpool and Real will meet in Paris on May 28 in the Champions League final.



Lionel Messi, Inter Miami Drive Club World Cup Ratings

Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Inter Miami CF Training - Inter Miami CF Training Centre, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US - June 26, 2025 Inter Miami CF's Lionel Messi with Luis Suarez during training REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Inter Miami CF Training - Inter Miami CF Training Centre, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US - June 26, 2025 Inter Miami CF's Lionel Messi with Luis Suarez during training REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
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Lionel Messi, Inter Miami Drive Club World Cup Ratings

Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Inter Miami CF Training - Inter Miami CF Training Centre, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US - June 26, 2025 Inter Miami CF's Lionel Messi with Luis Suarez during training REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Inter Miami CF Training - Inter Miami CF Training Centre, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US - June 26, 2025 Inter Miami CF's Lionel Messi with Luis Suarez during training REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

Lionel Messi, arguably the most recognizable player in the Club World Cup, is steering viewership to his underdog team.

Messi and his Inter Miami teammates are helping the expanded tournament draw US television ratings that are roughly comparable to those of the Premier League in the recently concluded season, Reuters reported.

Club World Cup broadcasts in English on TNT Sports (TNT, TBS and truTV) were averaging 360,000 through Wednesday, per Sports Media Watch. Sports Business Journal noted that the highly popular Premier League drew 394,000 per match on USA Network in the 2024-25 season.

Only a small number of Club World Cup are carried by TNT Sports, with all matches available on DAZN.

Three of the top seven English-language telecasts on TNT Sports featured Inter Miami, led by 676,000 tuning in to see the Major League Soccer side draw 2-2 with Brazil's Palmeiras on Monday. The Miami matches attracted even larger viewership on Spanish-language broadcasts.

Inter Miami drew 0-0 with Egypt's Al Ahly (371,000 viewers), then earned an upset 2-1 win over Portugal's Porto (349,000) before the tie with Palmeiras. Those results allowed Messi & Co. to finish second in Group A, setting up a Round of 16 matchup with Paris Saint-Germain that should be a rating bonanza.

The Sunday contest in Atlanta pits Messi against the team he represented immediately before coming to Miami. And PSG are the newly crowned winners of the UEFA Champions League, the most prestigious continental club tournament.

According to Sports Media Watch, the CONCACAF Gold Cup matchup on Sunday between the US men's national team and Haiti attracted an audience of 1.2 million viewers on Fox. The US won 2-1 to finish atop its group and set up a Sunday quarterfinal contest against Costa Rica in Minneapolis.