Who is Ethan Mbappe? The PSG youngster hoping to follow in his brother’s footsteps

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 20 Dec 2023 22:29 GMT
• 8 min read

Kylian Mbappe may be a World Cup winner with France and perhaps the best player in the world currently, but he is not the only talented footballer in the family.

Younger brother Ethan, 16, is making steady progress and now stands on the brink of his PSG debut, having worked his way through the academy ranks of the Parc des Princes side for the last six years as his more famous sibling catches the spotlight for the first team.

The younger Mbappe Jr. has been making waves at PSG for years now. His breakthrough came in UEFA Youth League, making his first start for the club on 25 October, 2022 in a 3-0 win over Maccabi Haifa. He grabbed an assist for Ismael Gharbi in that match, confirming his status as one to watch in the future.

His progress has continued since then, turning out for the first team in friendly action and being named in matchday squads by head coach Luis Enrique.

Ethan made his debut on Kylian's 25th birthday, coming off the bench in injury time to finish the game alongside his brother as PSG won 3-1.

The careers of the siblings have run in parallel, too. Ethan joined PSG in 2017, the summer Kylian first arrived on loan from Monaco. And he renewed his PSG contract last summer, before the elder Mbappe spurned Real Madrid to do the same in May 2022.

What position does Ethan Mbappe play in?

Ethan Mbappe has been described as “an elegant midfielder” who is at ease in possession of the ball. He can play across the centre of the field. Of course, this is very different to Kylian, who is most at home as a wide attacker or playing through the centre.

Although not as explosively fast as his sibling, Ethan is still physically adept and is happy to put his foot in against players often four years his senior.

He also a set-piece taker, who was already taking free-kicks for PSG's U17s at 14.

“He likes to organise the game. He’s a more effective player in one-on-ones, with less explosiveness but more technical finesse,” Charley Cassanas, the Boulogne-Billancourt coach told Le Parisien.

How good is Ethan Mbappe?

Just how good Mbappe can become has yet to be determined. Nevertheless, PSG have had enough faith in him to tie him down to a three-year youth contract, which has seen him interned at the club’s Saint-Germain-en-Laye training complex since the beginning of September 2021.

“His contract is deserved, it’s not cronyism,” one unnamed source told Le Parisien.

He is said to have excellent vision of the game, with the quality of his left foot and his passing particularly highlighted.

In a recent interview with L'Equipe, Ethan's older brother Kylian spoke about the future his sibling could have in the sport. Kylian said: "I tell him: 'stay calm!' But he is calm. I am the older one! It is the story of life but he is completely different to me, whether that is in his attitude, his character, his game. He needs to follow his path. But he will have something that I did not have: the pressure of a name. He will have to make a name for himself through his first name. The problem is that we have a similar face and people think we are the same!

"My brother will have different pressure. For me, it was the pressure of a match, a 'positive' pressure. Ethan will surely deal with a more 'negative' pressure, of the kind: 'You are Kylian’s brother.' Me, I had the pressure of being on the big stage quickly. He will have to face a certain excess. My role is also to help him follow his path. I do not want him in my footsteps whilst also wishing him the best."

It is pressure he seems to cope with well. One unnamed coach told L'Equipe: "Ethan, he’s a great kid. He listens very well, understands quickly, he is very well mannered. We never have a comment to make to him, he is always on time.

"Hats off for having the behavior he has with everything that is happening around him and his brother. Every time he travels with the U19s, he is approached by dozens of kids who ask him for a photo, he is always patient and kind. He is humble, hardworking. He has exceptional mental qualities."

And Zoumana Camara, his coach, says there is no favouritism shown towards the brother of the superstar.

"I treat him like the others," he said of Ethan. "I know he's an Mbappe, I worked with his brother so when I see him a bit, he reminds me of his brother! After that, he's a player like the rest, there's no special treatment."

What clubs are interested in Ethan Mbappe?

Real Madrid were linked with Ethan Mbappe in the summer of 2023 as they considered a strategy to lure Kylian away from Paris. His presence in Spain is seen as a step towards signing the France international forward as the pair are very close.

Barcelona are reportedly keeping tabs on Ethan, no doubt keen to avenge the Simons deal from Camp Nou to the Parc des Princes in 2019.

But as befitting of a prodigious teenaged talent, most major clubs in European football will be keeping their finger on the pulse with Mbappe - not least if it helps turn Kylian's head later.

For now, Mbappe will be given the time to develop at PSG, though.

When does Ethan Mbappe’s contract expire?

He is on a three-year youth deal that will run out in 2024. At the end of this, he can sign a professional contract.

How old is Ethan Mbappe?

Ethan Mbappe's birthday is 29 December, 2006. He is 16 years old.

What is Ethan Mbappe’s Instagram?

Ethan Mbappe's Instagram already has 3.1 million followers as of September 2023 - up from 658k a year earlier.

Who is Ethan Mbappe’s girlfriend?

Mbappe is not currently in a public relationship.