- Nasima Akter
Mbappe Plays Charity Match with Kids
French football star Kylian Mbappe has shown his dedication to charity work by taking part in a football match with underprivileged children at Stade de France. The PSG forward, who is a patron of the Premiers de Cordée organization, played the game with the kids and praised them as the "real heroes."
Mbappe has been involved with Premiers de Cordée for six years and has participated in similar charity events in the past. Speaking about the children he played with, he said, "They are the ones who fight real battles every day; we don't have struggles like that."
What is Premiers de Cordée?
Premiers de Cordée is a charity that was founded in 1999 to help people who don't have access to sports. At first, top-level athletes wanted to help those who were far away from sports and teach them the values of teamwork, respect, and determination.
Now, Premiers de Cordée works with hospitals to provide sports activities for sick children. They also have a program called "Disability Awareness" that helps schools and businesses understand how to be more inclusive to people with disabilities. The charity needs support to keep funding these activities in healthcare centers.
When Mbappe Became a Sponsor
In 2017, Premiers de Cordée had a great year with their new sponsor, Kylian Mbappé. The French football champion and Champions League semi-finalist visited the Edouard Rist Medical and Educational Clinic on June 14th to celebrate the start of his partnership with the charity.
The event included technical workshops and small matches, which were attended by Thierry Omeyer, another loyal sponsor of Premiers de Cordée. The children were thrilled to play with Kylian and forget about their conditions for a while.
At the end of the event, Kylian gave the clinic a signed shirt, which thrilled the children.
Mbappe's Other Charity Work
Back in 2020, Mbappe launched his charity, Inspired by KM to support 98 children from Paris in achieving their dreams. At the launch event, he impressed the audience with his generous and amiable personality. The charity aims to expose children aged between nine and 14 to various activities like learning new languages, arts and crafts, and foreign trips to help them achieve their ambitions.
Inspired by KM is open to children from all backgrounds and has a charter that encourages them to stay humble, take responsibility for their actions, listen to others, and manage conflicts without resorting to violence. Although Mbappe has enlisted the help of his family and school headmaster to run the charity, he has pledged to be highly involved himself.
Additionally, Mbappe donated all his World Cup match fees and bonuses to the Premiers de Cordees association, which organizes sports activities for children with disabilities, and of which he is a patron.
When asked about it, Mbappe said, "I did not need to be paid. I was there to defend the colours of the country." Mbappe has shown time and again that he is one of football's good guys, just like his rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Mbappe's commitment to charity work comes amid interest from Real Madrid.
However, the French forward has stated that he has no plans to leave PSG this summer and is determined to win the Champions League with the club. Mbappe's current contract with PSG runs until 2024, with an option for an additional 12 months that can be activated by the player.
