At just the age of 24, the footballing world seems to be at the feet of Kylian Mbappé Lottin. Having won the World Cup, a UCL final, and 2 world Cup final appearances to his name, Mbappé is widely regarded as the next big thing in football.
Already a star in the footballing world, Mbappe is regarded as one of the best players in the world right now. The Frenchman has made his case even stronger thanks to his recent performances in the World Cup, notably scoring a hat-trick in the final. He followed that up with a second-place finish in FIFA’s The Best rankings, behind PSG teammate Leo Messi.
However, such stardom automatically attracts rumors and speculations. Kylian hasn’t been relieved of such “side effects” of super-stardom either, already being surrounded by multiple rumors regarding his personal and professional life.
One such speculation that follows the PSG star is the question surrounding his religious allegiances.
What is the Confusion Surrounding Mbappe’s Religious Beliefs?
Born and bred in the suburbs of Paris, Kylian’s father Wilfrid is of Cameroonian descent and his mother Fayza is Algerian by origin. Wilfrid, a football coach and Mbappe’s agent by profession, is known to be a Christian, whereas Fayza, a former handball player, is Muslim.
Being born in a multireligious family, speculations naturally surrounded Mbappe’s religion. From time to time, certain images, clips, or claims made by fans online have supported the idea of Kylian being a Muslim by faith.
This tweet from a verified Twitter account by the name of Hend F Q listed the name of certain French footballers who are practicing Muslims. Mbappe’s name could be found in the list.
In a clip circulating online for months, Mbappe could be seen chanting Islamic terms “As-salamu alaykum”, “Wa ʿalaykumu s-salam” and “Alhamdulillah” with great proficiency, something which makes fans consider him a Muslim.
In another famous incident, Mbappe was seen hiding the logo of the famous alcohol brand “Budweiser”. This was noticed following the group stage match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup between France and Poland.
Kylian had received the Player of the Match award for the third time in as many matches in the tournament. Each time during the photo shoot, the Frenchman was seen rotating the trophy in a manner that hid the logo of sponsors Budweiser. This even resulted in Mbappé being fined by French Football Federation.
The incident sparked another round of conversations among fans, many of whom started to consider Mbappé a Muslim. This makes sense as alcohol is Haram in Islam, and often times Muslim sportspersons have been seen avoiding promoting any alcohol brand.
Mbappe’s race is another factor that contributes to the fans believing him to be a Muslim. The majority of footballers of African descent who have represented France are known to be practitioners of Islam. Paul Pogba, Zinedine Zidane, and Nicolas Anelka to name a few, are well-known to be practicing Islam. Kylian Mbappé being of African descent too brings up the confusion surrounding his faith.
Kylian is also very close friends with PSG teammate Achraf Hakimi. Pictures of the two traveling around the globe, attending events, shows, and matches together could be easily seen online.
Both of them speak highly of each other, and by the looks of it, they clearly share a very strong bond. Hakimi, being a follower of Islam, also generates assumptions among fans about Kylian being a Muslim.
Is Kylian Mbappé a Muslim?
Firstly, to admit the rumors surrounding the Budweiser incident during the world cup, reliable French news outlet L’Equipe reported that the then 23-year-old was deliberately hiding the alcohol brand logo, as he does not want to promote the use of alcohol.
It is a well-known fact that Kylian owns his image rights, and he has made it very clear that he will not promote alcohol, gambling, or junk food, as he wishes to ensure his image reflects his status as a role model.
Putting the rumors to bed, NO. Kylian Mbappe is a Christian. Being born to a Christian father and Muslim mother, Mbappé wasn’t instructed to follow a particular faith by his parents, and he grew up to choose Christianity.
In a French TV show “Au Tableau”, Kylian was asked whether he is religious, and what faith he practice. Kylian admitted to being a Christian.
