The truth behind Kylian Mbappé’s €1.5 million ‘ethics bonus’ in PSG contract

An ethics bonus is a contractual payment awarded to players if they comply with club regulations and maintain conduct that benefits the club’s image. Conversely, if a player’s actions are deemed harmful to the club, this bonus can be withheld.

In England, clubs are allowed to fine players directly for misconduct. In France, however, labour law prohibits clubs from deducting a worker’s salary. As a result, French clubs introduced ethics bonuses into player contracts, usually ranging from €300,000 to €500,000 per month.

In Mbappé’s case, reports suggest he consistently upheld both his own image and that of PSG, never leaking internal matters to the media. As a result, he was entitled to receive the full ethics bonus, which PSG allegedly failed to pay - amounting to roughly €1.5 million (€500,000 per month).

The ethics bonus is not unique at PSG. Neymar reportedly earned around €541,680 per month under a similar clause, but only if he followed strict rules such as “showing courtesy and availability to supporters”, “greeting fans before and after matches”, “making no negative comments about the club”, avoiding social media activity that could damage the club’s image, and complying with tax regulations.

Other PSG players have previously lost part or all of their ethics bonuses. Lionel Messi saw his bonus deducted after an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia in 2023. Marco Verratti missed payments in 2018 following a drink-driving incident, while Hatem Ben Arfa lost bonuses after failing to attend a PSG training camp in Qatar.

Mbappé recently won his legal case against PSG over unpaid wages and bonuses, with the court ordering the club to pay €60 million, covering three months’ salary between April and June 2024, as well as ethics-related and signing bonuses. 

Left PSG for Real Madrid, Mbappé is in outstanding form, having become a key player and recently equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 59 goals in a calendar year for the club.