Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid, the galactic transfer finally finalized Sunday, was a slow-drip saga of power, money, politics and ambition.
It began years ago with flirtation and courtship. A presidential intervention and Qatari wealth prolonged it. But an explosive 2023 letter reignited it. And throughout 2024, a crescendo of rumors and reports, each more firm than the last, turned a likely outcome into a foregone conclusion. Mbappé had decided to leave Paris Saint Germain; then he’d communicated his decision to the club; then he reached an agreement with Real Madrid; then he announced his impending departure.