The Spanish network "Defensa Central" reported that Paris Saint-Germain is concerned about a potential crisis between its stars, Frenchman Kylian Mbappe and Argentine Lionel Messi, in light of the 2022 Qatar World Cup final. Tensions arose between Mbappe and Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez during and after the final match, which ended in a thrilling penalty shootout victory for the "Tango" team after a 3-3 draw.
During the celebrations in the locker room, Martinez asked his teammates to stand in silence for a minute in mock tribute to Mbappe, reflecting the Paris Saint-Germain star's sadness over losing the title. Interestingly, Martinez attempted to console Mbappe while French President Emmanuel Macron was speaking with the "Les Bleus" forward after the match.
Martinez's provocative behavior toward the French striker continued after returning to Argentina for the celebrations, where a photo circulated of the Golden Glove-winning goalkeeper holding a small doll, with a picture of the French player attached to its face.
"Defensa Central" mentioned that Mbappe is extremely angry about Martinez's actions, especially in the presence of his teammate and Argentina captain Lionel Messi. Sources close to Mbappe informed the Spanish network that he refuses to stay with Messi in the near future at Paris Saint-Germain.
The source stated that the French star intends to adopt the strategy used by Brazilian Ronaldo "the Phenomenon" during his time at Inter Milan, when he suffered from a lack of playing time under Argentine coach Hector Cuper. At that time, "the Phenomenon" told Inter's management, "it's either me or Cuper."
"Defensa Central" added that Mbappe plans to take a similar approach with the French club management, giving them the choice between retaining him or keeping the Argentine star, whose contract runs until the summer of 2023 with an option for renewal.
