Mbappe and Wemby: How the two biggest names in French sport traded rivalry for friendship

Suraj Radia

• 24 Oct 2025 06:00 CDT
• 5 min read

Analysis

The future of French sport can be epitomised by the hype of two global superstars in Kylian Mbappe and Victor Wembanyama, whose blossoming friendship has proven as captivating as their sporting exploits.

Mbappe has long-been the jewel of French football, culminating in the Real Madrid star leading France to the 2018 World Cup at the tender age of 19 and winning 17 trophies during his young career already.

Current ETV

Kylian Mbappé 

F (C)

Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappé 

F (C)

Real Madrid

€119.5M

ETV Range

€107.5M - €131.4M

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But even with Mbappe’s accomplishments, there has not been a unicorn quite like Wembanyama perhaps in all of sports, with the 7-foot 4-inch titan tying his freakish size with rapid speed and athleticism that has taken the NBA by awe.

Wembanyama began his third NBA season on Wednesday night with a jaw-dropping 40-point display for the San Antonio Spurs that highlights just why his appeal has spread far beyond basketball and French sport.

Indeed, Wembanyama’s odds for this season’s MVP award were slashed after the opening night, with the 21-year-old now seen as the joint-second favourite for the honour, which would make him the youngest player ever to receive the trophy.

The monumental attention Wembanyama has been gaining is perhaps only rivalled in France by Mbappe’s own come-up, making it no surprise that the two have developed a close bond in recent times.

Wemby and Mbappe friendship timeline

Mbappe and ‘Wemby’, as Wembanyama is affectionally known, both grew up in Paris, although the striker is five years older than his NBA counterpart, meaning they didn’t cross paths until their careers stated to progress.

Wembenyama had been developing traction as a youth basketball player in France, leading to him being invited to watch Paris Saint-Germain’s home game against Marseille in October 2022, where Mbappe was playing for the hosts.

A vocal, lifelong PSG fan, Wembanyama said of Mbappe: “Of course, for many years. I realize that we have a lot in common. One I would relate to a lot. Kylian is the player who inspires me the most, but I want to be original and chart my own path.”

It was not until 2023 that the pair had their first public meeting, with Mbappe among the crowd at Wembanyama’s final game with Metropolitans 92, the night of the NBA draft lottery where the then-19-year-old would learn which team he would be joining as the expected number one pick that year.

The pair spent more time together that week, posing in their first official photo together in the lead up to the Draft Lottery, with Mbappe saying: "You don't have to be a top athlete to know that this guy is special. What we can do is accompany him, support him, admire what he has already done and what he will do in the future.”

Since their public link up, the pair have remained in touch and showed each other support on social media, with Mbappe posting ‘the story begins now’ on Twitter when Wembanyama was drafted by the Spurs in June 2023, while the NBA star spoke of the parralels between the pair later that year.

"We are both young, from the same generation and we are each trying to accomplish things in our sport,” Wembanyama said. “But we both have to write our own story and for him as for me, even if he's got a little head start, it's only just beginning.

“Many things are still to be written and I hope that, for him as well as for me, the pages will be beautiful.”

Wembanyama also commented on speculation linking Mbappe with an exit from PSG in 2024, admitting it was ‘difficult’ to envision the World Cup winner remaining in Paris and wishing him luck with trophies in his career.

With Wemby playing in Texas and Mbappe plying his trade 5,000 miles away in Madrid, the two perhaps have not had much time to rekindle their friendship in person, particularly with Wembanyama having spent the large part of this summer training with monks in China and travelling the world.

But the two have displayed a rare bond of support instead of perhaps an expected rivalry for the limelight, with both players realising French sport is stronger with the pair in harmony, allowing them to focus on dominating their respective trades for the next decade.

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