Mbappe accepts Usain Bolt 100m challenge as French President appeals to Madrid to allow participate in Paris Olympics
PSG star Kylian Mbappe has agreed to a 100m sprint challenge with Olympic legend Usain Bolt but gives himself “no chance” of beating the Jamaican.
Athletics icon Bolt, who has eight Olympic gold medals to his name, recently suggested that World Cup winner Mbappe should line up against him in a charity race.
He has also spoken of his admiration for the France international, who is expected to leave Paris Saint-Germain for Real Madrid this summer.
Mbappe has responded to those claims by saying at the ‘Victory Mode’ event organised by his foundation Inspired By KM and Nike: “Knowing that I inspire someone like that is gratifying. I think he inspired everyone a little bit too and every one of you in this room has gotten up in the middle of the night to watch one of his races. It’s mutual! But I started admiring him first.”
Responding to Bolt’s 100m challenge, with the Jamaican saying that Mbappe would lose, the 25-year-old forward added: “[I have] no chance, I think so too!” Bolt remains the 100m world record holder, with a time of 9.58 seconds, while Mbappe has been clocked at a theoretical 10.9 seconds.
Bolt retired from athletics in 2017 and has tried his hand at football since then, spending time with Australian side the Central Coast Mariners. He is now 37 years of age, but would still expect to have enough left in the tank to beat Mbappe if they do see an exhibition race lined up.
Elsewhere, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, has again commented on the possibility of Mbappe joining Real Madrid, urging the club, without directly mentioning Florentino Perez, to allow the forward to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris.
In an interview with the French newspaper La Tribune, Macron stated,
“I hope that all European clubs give freedom to their players. The French clubs will do so and I hope that the rest follow the Olympic spirit.”
He also revealed that he spoke with Mbappe’s father, Wilfrid, who confirmed that his son, currently with Paris Saint-Germain, wishes to play in the Olympics.
Macron’s comments indirectly addressed Real Madrid’s president, Perez, who has previously said the club will not release its international players for the competition, only Spanish ones.
Meanwhile, Mbappe recently took part in an event for his foundation with 2,000 children on the Champs-Elysees over the weekend, ahead of PSG’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Borussia Dortmund.
During the event, he stated that he is not currently focused on the Olympics, saying,
“My position remains the same, but I am not thinking about the Olympic Games right now. My focus is on current events involving PSG.”
As of today, all parties involved— Mbappe, PSG, and Real Madrid—have agreed, but they are holding off on any formal announcement until the current UEFA Champions League season concludes.
Both teams could potentially meet in the final, and no one wants to disrupt this possibility with distractions like transfer rumours.
If, however, both Madrid and PSG are eliminated from the tournament, an official announcement about Mbappe’s future might be made soon.
For now, everyone is focused on the competition and the potential for a thrilling finale between the two clubs.
