Kylian Mbappe said European football's increasingly busy schedule is starting to mirror the NBA season and warned of the effects of basketball-style load management.
In an interview with British GQ, Mbappé said such practices could create a wedge between players, teams and fans attending matches. The France captain played 63 times in the 2022-23 season for Paris Saint-Germain and the national team.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
“We are getting closer to the NBA model, with 70-game seasons,” said Mbappé. “Personally I am not against playing so many games, but we will not be able to always be good and offer the public the spectacle they expect.
“In the NBA, players don't play every game and franchises practice load management. But if he said, 'I'm tired, I'm not playing on Saturday,' it wouldn't sit well with me.
“The paying spectator who can only see you once during the season wants to see a performance worthy of the name, and that is understandable.
“I don't want to preach, but we need to think together about how to offer the best possible solution so that players, spectators and football's governing bodies can adopt it.”
Mbappé also spoke of his admiration for LeBron James' off-court work, after speaking with the Los Angeles Lakers star in a Nike campaign.
“He is much further along in his career than me and the projects outside of the sport have cemented his place as a sporting legend,” Mbappé said.
“Being able to ask advice from inspirational figures like him gives me the opportunity to adjust my plan and create my own approach that is as effective as possible in helping today's youth.”
Mbappé has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid. A source close to the 14-time Champions League winners told ESPN that some players on the team believe he will play for The whites next season.
However, the 25-year-old remained coy about his own future, and did not rule out playing club football outside of Europe at some point in his career, as was the case with former PSG teammates Lionel Messi and Neymar. They now play for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and Al Hilal in the lucrative Saudi Pro League, respectively.
“Many great players who have marked the history of football have left Europe this summer and we are entering a new era,” said Mbappé.
“It's become part of the cycle of this sport, and at some point it will be my turn to quit. I'm not worried about these changes. I'm just thinking about continuing my career and following my own path.”
