Kenya, July 12 -- Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) player Kylian Mbappe has faced a lot of criticism from fans and the media. This attention comes from tensions during his time at the club, especially because he often didn't pass the ball to teammates like Lionel Messi.
A moment that went viral from a match in 2022 against Montpellier shows Mbappe getting very upset when Vitinha passed the ball to Messi instead of him. This raised questions about Mbappe's behaviour at PSG and his teamwork skills.
This incident has come back into the spotlight, especially with PSG's success in the 2025 Champions League, making fans think that Mbappe was part of the problem at PSG.
The controversy involving Mbappe, Messi, and Vitinha happened during a game in Ligue 1 on August 13, 2022. When Vitinha decided to pass to Messi, Mbappe stopped running and looked frustrated.
Despite this, PSG continued their attack and almost scored a goal through Achraf Hakimi. However, Mbappe not joining in led many to believe he was being selfish.
Fans expressed their disappointment, saying things like "Mbappe anda a meter um nojo," which means they were unhappy with his attitude.
These moments contributed to the idea that Mbappe's ego affected the team's unity, especially with stars like Messi and Neymar.
Critics argue that Mbappe's unwillingness to pass disrupted the team's flow. He scored 212 goals in 290 games, but his habit of taking shots instead of passing frustrated fans, especially after he missed a penalty but later scored.
According to The Athletic, Mbappe made more goals than tackles and interceptions combined, pointing to a lack of defensive effort, which did not fit well with the team's system under coach Luis Enrique.
Vitinha, who is now an important player, did very well in 2025 and even assisted a goal in the Champions League final, proving his worth after being criticised for not passing to Messi, as reported by The Guardian.
PSG has changed a lot since Mbappe left. Under coach Luis Enrique, in the 2024-25 season, PSG played very well, recovering the ball 9.8 times per match in Ligue 1 and having an average possession of 68.3%, according to The Guardian.
Many fans believe that Mbappe's relaxed attitude made it difficult for Messi, as he often ignored Vitinha's passes to Messi.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.