Kylian Mbappé appeared on The Bridge, the YouTube podcast created by his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Achraf Hakimi, for one of the most candid conversations Mbappé has given since joining Real Madrid. The episode is co-hosted by comedian Malik Bentalha and covers their years together at PSG, the move to Madrid, and the cultural identity both players share as French footballers from immigrant families.
Full episode via The Bridge on YouTube
The Bridge Podcast | What Is the Show?
The Bridge is a YouTube podcast co-hosted by Hakimi and Malik Bentalha that has built a significant audience in France, Morocco, and among the wider North African diaspora. The show films in French and makes every episode available with English, Spanish, and Arabic subtitles, targeting the international football audience that follows players like Hakimi and Mbappé across multiple language communities. The format is conversational and long-form, typically running between 45 minutes and two hours. Learn more about the hosts and show concept on the The Bridge show page.
Mbappé on His PSG Years and the Move to Real Madrid
A significant portion of the episode covers leaving PSG, the club where Mbappé spent six years and became the most recognizable footballer in France. Mbappé joined Real Madrid on a free transfer in summer 2024, ending years of speculation. On The Bridge, he addresses what the transition actually felt like: adapting to a new city, a new language of play at Madrid, and the pressure that comes with joining a club that has won more European titles than any other institution in football.
Hakimi and Mbappé were PSG teammates from 2021 to 2024. The podcast gives both a chance to reflect on that era: the Champions League campaigns, the dynamics of a star-heavy squad that included Neymar and Messi at various points, and how playing alongside world-class players shaped their professional standards. For broader Mbappé and soccer coverage, see the oWire Soccer hub.
Shared Background | Growing Up French with African Roots
Beyond football, the episode stands out for its depth on cultural identity. Both Hakimi and Mbappé grew up in the Parisian banlieues in families where parents had emigrated from North and West Africa. Hakimi's family is Moroccan; Mbappé's father is Cameroonian and his mother Algerian. The podcast covers how both players navigated questions of representation, expectations from both French football and their respective heritage communities, and the experience of becoming global icons while maintaining roots in working-class Parisian neighborhoods.
Malik Bentalha, who shares a similar background as a French-Belgian comedian of Moroccan descent, guides the conversation with enough cultural familiarity to get specific rather than generic. The result is one of the more detailed public conversations Mbappé has given on questions of identity that go beyond the pitch. For more YouTube creator content, see the oWire YouTube hub.
Where to Watch | The Bridge Mbappé Episode
The full episode is available on The Bridge YouTube channel. For the complete show profile, hosts, and format breakdown, visit the The Bridge hub page. For French football and Ligue 1 news, see the Soccer hub.