Overview
- Kylian Mbappé posted an open letter on his Instagram account on Tuesday, July 28, thanking fans, reflecting on France’s campaign and saying he was proud to finish as the tournament’s top scorer.
- Reports say Mbappé bought paid notices that carried the same letter in national and regional papers including L’Équipe, Le Parisien, Ouest‑France, La Provence, La Dépêche du Midi and La Voix du Nord.
- The letter and notices stressed that his 10 goals at the tournament — bringing his World Cup total to 22 — were made possible by teammates and staff and that the personal award would have meant more with the trophy.
- Mbappé singled out coach Didier Deschamps and the technical staff for thanks and closed with an optimistic message about the team’s future and shared journey.
- The reported newspaper campaign, said by outlets to have cost roughly €50,000, signals a deliberate move to control how the message reached the public and could shape the national conversation about France’s next steps.