Stockholm:

Swedish prosecutors confirmed Tuesday a rape probe following media reports that French footballer Kylian Mbappe was being investigated after a visit to Stockholm but did not name the suspect.

On Monday, Swedish newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen reported that a rape investigation had been opened following Mbappe’s two-day visit to the Nordic capital.

“In response to media reports about a suspected rape in Stockholm, the prosecutor can confirm that a criminal report has been submitted to the police,” Sweden’s Prosecution Authority said in a statement.

It added that the alleged incident occurred at a hotel on October 10, but did not name a suspect and said no further information could be shared for the moment.

Expressen on Monday identified Mbappe as the suspect, citing anonymous sources, while Aftonbladet said Tuesday it had also had obtained information confirming Mbappe was the suspect.

Expressen said Mbappe was “reasonably suspected” of rape and sexual assault, the lower of two grades of suspicion in the Swedish legal system.

Contacted by AFP on Monday, Mbappe’s entourage said it had no knowledge of a legal complaint made against him.

The French international was not selected for his country’s latest round of Nations League matches, so visited the Swedish capital with a group of people last Thursday.

According to Aftonbladet, they dined at a restaurant before going to a nightclub. Mbappe and the group left Sweden on Friday.

Aftonbladet said the complaint was filed on Saturday after the alleged victim had sought medical attention.

Expressen reported Tuesday that police had seized some clothing as evidence, saying it consisted of women’s underwear, a pair of black trousers and a black top.

On Monday, Mbappe himself claimed in a post on X that there was a link between the Aftonbladet report and his hearing before a French league committee on Tuesday, in his bitter dispute with his former club Paris Saint-Germain over what he says are unpaid wages.

Mbappe claims he is owed 55 million euros ($60 million) by the Qatari-owned French champions.

“FAKE NEWS !!!!. It’s becoming so predictable, on the eve of the hearing, as if by chance,” Mbappe posted.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Pablo Maffeo of RCD Mallorca and Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid compete for the ball during the La Liga match between RCD Mallorca and Real Madrid CF at Estadi de Son Moix on August 18, 2024 in Mallorca, Spain
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Defending champion Real Madrid couldn’t manage more than a 1-1 draw at Mallorca in Kylian Mbappe’s first Spanish league match.

In his second game with Madrid after debuting midweek, Mbappe failed to break through on Sunday. The France World Cup winner had scored in Madrid’s 2-0 win against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti started with the same squad that beat Atalanta, with Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior and Mbappe in attack.

“They change position from time to time,” Ancelotti said of Vinicius and Mbappe.

“Sometimes Mbappe plays more centrally and sometimes one of the two has to occupy this flank, without a particular plan. It depends on how they feel about it.”

It was Rodrygo who put Madrid ahead against Mallorca 13 minutes into the match, but the hosts equalised with Vedat Muriqi’s goal in the 53rd.

“We got off to a good start, taking the lead and then had a chance to get the second goal,” Ancelotti said.

“We didn’t find the balance in the second half. We could have lost as there was no balance at the back. It wasn’t a good game. We need to defend better. We’re a very attacking team, but defensive balance is a fundamental factor.”

Madrid defender Ferland Mendy was sent off deep into second-half stoppage time for a hard foul on Muriqi.

“I don’t want to make excuses for anything, but we just need to do better and with a better attitude,” Ancelotti said.

“We can learn a lot from this match. It’s quite clear where our problems could come from.”

Rafael Nadal, who is from the island of Mallorca, was among those watching the match at the Son Moix Stadium.

Mallorca’s players provided a guard of honour for the Super Cup winners, lining up to applaud the Madrid team as they entered the field before kickoff.

Sociedad stunned at home

Real Sociedad, which finished sixth last season, was upset 2-1 at home by Rayo Vallecano, which fought to avoid relegation in the last campaign.

Jorge de Frutos and Sergio Camello scored second-half goals to put Rayo in front, while Sociedad only found the net with Martín Zubimendi’s goal deep into stoppage time.

On Saturday, Robert Lewandowski scored twice to give Barcelona a 2-1 win at Valencia in coach Hansi Flick’s Spanish league debut.

Atletico Madrid visits Villarreal on Monday.

Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates winning the Super Cup with Endrick, Vinicius Junior, Dani Ceballos and teammates
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

A goal and a trophy. How about that for a debut by Kylian Mbappe for Real Madrid?

The France captain pulled on the famous white jersey of the Spanish champions for the first time in a competitive match and marked the occasion with the second goal in a 2-0 win over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup.

Mbappe, who started and played 82 minutes at the National Stadium in Warsaw, met a pass from Jude Bellingham across the area with a shot into the top corner in the 68th minute.

“He is inevitable,” Bellingham said of Mbappe.

“It’s a big step for him – people have been talking about him coming here for a long time — and it feels like he’s been here for a while.”

After putting both arms across his chest for his trademark celebration, Mbappé was congratulated by Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, the other members of Madrid’s star-studded strike force that might be sending tremors around European soccer heading into the new season.

Federico Valverde tapped home a cross from Vinícius in the 59th to set Madrid on its way to a record sixth victory in the Super Cup, the annual match between the Champions League winners (Madrid) and the Europa League champions (Atalanta).

Madrid is used to holding records — no team has more European Cup titles than its 15 — and owning the world’s best players.

Mbappé certainly belongs in that category and it was a strong start to life at the world’s top soccer club, one he dreamt of playing for as a kid before fulfilling that reality by moving from Paris Saint-Germain after a drawn-out saga.

Now he is Madrid’s No. 9 and started the Super Cup as the team’s central striker — to limited success, aside from a couple of spins and tricks that wowed the crowd in the first half — before moving out wide for the second half to greater effect.

“We have a new-look team and it seemed to just click tonight,” Bellingham said. “Sometimes it takes a bit of time – the first half we were still adjusting — and the second half it all came together and we were brilliant.” Vinícius and Bellingham, stars of Madrid’s run to the Champions League and La Liga titles last season, were the game’s standout players, however, as Carlo Ancelotti’s team eventually overpowered Atalanta after an even first half that saw both sides hit the crossbar.

Madrid defender Eder Militao deflected a cross onto his own bar before Rodrygo fired in a shot just before halftime that struck the top of the bar.

“At one point, the game was within our reach,” Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said.

Atalanta almost took the lead early in the second half when Mario Pašalic had a header tipped aside by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois but Madrid was dominant thereafter, with Vinícius operating more down the middle.

It might take a while for Ancelotti to find the ideal formula up front — Brazil striker Endrick, a summer signing like Mbappé, didn’t even come off the bench for the match — but it’s an enviable dilemma for the Italian coach.

“The most difficult thing, what we are looking for, is finding balance in the team with the quality we have up front,” Ancelotti said. “If we are able to do this, we can have a very good season. We have a fantastic squad, to be honest.” Luka Modric, the 38-year-old Croatia great who was one of five second-half substitutes for Madrid, lifted the trophy high to a backdrop of gold confetti as Mbappé danced and led the celebrations beside him — before getting his hands on the hardware himself.

“I thought he (Mbappé) was amazing before and now you get a chance to play with him, you see the details up closer — the speed, the quality, the work without the ball, the way he is as a leader, the way he communicates,” Bellingham said. “I can’t speak highly enough of him really.”

France’s Kylian Mbappe walks in dejection after Spain’s Dani Olmo scores his side’s second goal during a semifinal match between Spain and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Munich, Germany, on July 09, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

France captain Kylian Mbappe said his side “didn’t do enough” in Tuesday’s 2-1 semi-final loss to Spain and admitted he was disappointed after underperforming at Euro 2024.

“We didn’t do enough to get to the final,” Mbappe told reporters. “They (Spain) played better than us, they deserved to go to the final and we are going home.”

Mbappe set up Randal Kolo Muani’s ninth-minute opener, but Spain hit back to take the lead with two strikes in four minutes midway through the first half.

“I had the ambition of becoming European champion. I had the goal of having a good Euros. I did neither. It’s a disappointment,” said Mbappe.

France scored just four goals at the tournament, with Mbappe’s only strike coming from the penalty spot.

The haul was in stark contrast to France’s run to the World Cup final in Qatar, where Mbappe scored eight of Les Bleus’ 16 goals.

Mbappe had a late chance to level the scores when he cut inside from the left flank with just goalkeeper Unai Simon to beat, but blasted over the bar.

“I got past the defender and it went well. Afterwards, I thought I just have to score or at the very least get it on target.

“It went over the bar. That’s the harsh reality of football. 2-1 and we’re going home.”

The France captain had played in a protective mask after breaking his nose in the opening match against Austria, but removed it for the semi-final, saying he was “fed up”.

“I couldn’t see well with it. I spoke to the doctor to see if I could play without it.

“He told me to make the decision like a man. And there you go, I played without it and I don’t regret it.”

Dani Olmo of Spain celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammate Lamine Yamal during the UEFA EURO 2024 Semi-Final match between Spain and France at Munich Football Arena on July 09, 2024 in Munich, Germany.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Spain fought back to beat France 2-1 in an entertaining Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday with a stunning Lamine Yamal strike and a Dani Olmo goal booking their spot in Sunday’s final in Berlin.

France struck early when Kylian Mbappe, not wearing a mask after breaking his nose earlier in the tournament, picked out Randal Kolo Muani who headed in from close range for his side’s first goal from open play at the tournament.

Yamal levelled for Spain in the 21st minute when he launched a ferocious left-footed drive from outside the penalty area that glanced off the post on its way into the net, making the 16-year-old the youngest scorer at a Euro or World Cup tournament.

Spain took the lead four minutes later after a period of sustained pressure when Olmo took a clever touch inside the penalty area and fired home a half-volley that deflected off France’s Jules Kounde. France kept Spain penned in during the second half and created a few chances but could not find a way back.

File picture of France’s Kylian Mbappe and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo
| Photo Credit: AP

Cristiano Ronaldo versus Kylian Mbappé. A clash of football icons. A clash of generations.

They’ll go head to head when Portugal plays France in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals on Friday, and this heavyweight meeting might have got just that little bit bigger.

“It is, without doubt, my last European Championship,” the 39-year-old Ronaldo said after his tearful, emotionally charged performance in Portugal’s penalty-shootout victory over Slovenia in the last 16. That may have just confirmed what many were presuming anyway.

Still, there’s now a definitive specter of finality to Ronaldo’s long, headline-grabbing Euros adventure that could be brought to an end by Mbappé, the heir apparent to Ronaldo and Lionel Messi after their long-time dominance of the sport.

Mbappé grew up with pictures of Ronaldo on his bedroom wall.

A photo is inevitably doing the rounds on social media of what is apparently their first ever meeting, at Real Madrid’s training ground at Valdebebas in 2012 when a 13-year-old Mbappé stood beside Ronaldo after a visit to the Spanish club where his sporting hero was the star player.

In 2020, Mbappé posted on Twitter, now X, that Ronaldo was his “idol.” And only a few months ago, Ronaldo reacted to Mbappé clinching a highly anticipated move to Madrid by writing on Instagram: “Excited to see you light up the Bernabeu.”

That Mbappé can now end Ronaldo’s European Championship career — who knows, it might even be his last ever major tournament — adds an intriguing subplot to a match that will be watched around the world.

“Let’s go, let’s go to war,” Ronaldo said of the match against France, whom he considers as the top contender at Euro 2024 along with Spain.

He said he was driven to tears against Slovenia not at the prospect of elimination but because his main motivation these days is “making people happy” and he had a penalty saved in extra time.

“I’m moved by all that football means — by the enthusiasm I have for the game, the enthusiasm for seeing my supporters, my family, the affection people have for me.

“It’s not about leaving the world of football. What else is there for me to do or win?” Ronaldo heads into Friday’s game having failed to score in eight straight matches at major tournaments — Portugal’s last four at the 2022 World Cup and its four games at Euro 2024 — and with growing concerns about whether he deserves what appears to be a guaranteed spot in the team under Roberto Martinez.

Things haven’t been straightforward for Mbappé, either, at Euro 2024.

He sustained a broken nose in France’s group opener against Austria and has since been wearing a vision-limiting protective facemask during games. Mbappé has scored one goal and that was from the penalty spot against Poland – it’s the only goal scored by a France player at these Euros.

“He will have to get used to it,” France coach Didier Deschamps said of Mbappé and his mask, “because, to protect (his nose), he will have to wear it for a few weeks — or even a few months.”

Few would have predicted the top scorer at the last World Cup (Mbappé) and the record scorer in men’s international football (Ronaldo) to have just one goal between them heading into the quarterfinals.

But no one will be surprised if they come alive in Hamburg, with the pressure on and the occasion so big.

Mbappé, remember, scored a hat trick in the World Cup final and has been logging Ronaldo-esque scoring numbers in the first part of his career. He’s already on 48 goals for France at the age of 25, and is also on 48 goals in the Champions League from 73 appearances.

He is chasing down Ronaldo’s scoring records at both international (130) and Champions League (140) level and will likely only succeed by showing the same undimmed passion and desire as the player he used to copy as a kid.

As their countries’ respective captains, they’ll shake hands and embrace before kickoff. You can bet they’ll do the same after the match.

By that time, one of them will be on his way home. For Mbappé, there will surely be more European Championships down the road. For Ronaldo, this could be the end of the road.

France’s Kylian Mbappe is pictured wearing a protective face mask during the warm up before a match
| Photo Credit: Reuters

By this stage of the European Championship, favourites France and contenders Belgium would have wanted to be well into their stride and hitting their straps as they enter the knockout stages.

Instead, the neighbours go spluttering into the last 16 and into a head-on collision in Duesseldorf on Monday after both failed to finish top of their first-round group.

France’s much-vaunted attack is suffering from a crisis of confidence and coach Didier Deschamps, usually a steady hand guiding the squad, looks unsure of what his next move will be.

Belgium will have had some motivation sucked out of their cause following an astonishingly hostile reaction from their own supporters after they limped into the next stage of the tournament in Germany.

Despite Wednesday’s draw with Ukraine assuring them progress, they were subjected to loud barracking from their fans and have since closed ranks.

Captain Kevin De Bruyne did not take kindly to the abuse. His attitude and demeanour will set the tone for the rest of the Belgian side as they look to leave behind them the limp performances from the group stage.

Romelu Lukaku needs to find his scoring touch after a number of missed opportunities in the tournament. His record 85 goals for Belgium does not include any from Euro 2024, and overall he has a poor scoring record at major tournaments.

Few would have envisaged a French forward line failing to score in open play in their opening three matches at the tournament. One of their two goals was a penalty from Kylian Mbappe, the other an own goal from Austria in their opening game.

Deschamps must now decide whether to restore Antoine Griezmann to the line-up and pair him up front with Mbappe.

Griezmann no longer the mainstay

Griezmann has been a long-time mainstay for Deschamps but was dropped for their last game, a 1-1 draw with Poland, which allowed Austria to emerge unexpected winners of Group D, which also included the Netherlands.

Belgium is France’s oldest and most frequent opponent. The first international for both countries was a 3-3 draw in Brussels 120 years ago.

Belgium lead the win count of 75 past meetings 30-26 but France won the last two — the semi-final at the 2018 World Cup in St Petersburg and the Nations League semi-final in Turin in October, 2021.

The winner of Monday’s clash at the Duesseldorf Arena will take on Portugal or Slovenia in the quarter-finals.

Kick-off: July 1, 9.30 p.m.

Kylian Mbappe, who joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, played his last home game for the club on May 12. File
| Photo Credit: AFP

Kylian Mbappé’s relationship with Paris Saint-Germain started with great fanfare but is ending amid ongoing tensions and without a Champions League trophy.

Mbappé joined as a teenage phenom from Monaco in 2017 in a deal worth 180 million euros ($194 million). On May 12, the 25-year-old superstar played his last home game for Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (PSG) and scored in a 3-1 loss to Toulouse.

He was loudly jeered by sections of the crowd at Parc des Princes when his name was announced two days after finally making it official he is leaving — though Mbappé got a warmer welcome from other PSG fans.

As the soccer world discussed his imminent departure on May 10, French champion PSG did not comment on the matter.

The late-evening announcement by Mbappé may have taken PSG by surprise since it was in a video posted on X, and not through the club’s communication department.

Between then and the May 12 night kickoff, there were more than 20 posts on PSG’s official feed on X.

Those included an exclusive look at next season’s home strip, an item on a betting site, a clip of PSG’s women’s team reaching the French Cup final, and kickoff times for the match in different parts of the world but nothing on Mbappé. No tribute was paid to him by the club during Sunday’s game, either, albeit not the last match of the season.

It was left to the ultra supporters from the CUP, or Paris Ultras Collective, to honor him with a banner and a giant tifo in his image.

The fracture between the cash-rich Qatari-owned club and its 256-goal record scorer appears to run deep.

Here’s a look at how relations deteriorated.

New contract

PSG may be feeling let down by Mbappé after offering him the most lucrative contract in the club’s history when he signed a new contract in 2022.

But Mbappé was frustrated because he felt promises to sign key players — notably a top-class center forward like Robert Lewandowski so he could play in his favored position wide left — were not kept.

When he signed the new deal, he was paraded in front of fans holding up a jersey with 2025 on it. Mbappé was reportedly annoyed about this, because the contract was until 2024 with the option for an extra year.

Offer declined

Mbappé stunned PSG in June last year by informing the club he would not take the option for an extra year. With his contract effectively into its final year, it put PSG in the position of needing to sell Mbappé to avoid losing him for free when the contract expired.

PSG insisted he would be sold but Mbappé wanted to see out the final year, so the club flexed its muscle by leaving him out of the pre-season tour to Japan in late July.

Al-Hilal came in with a world record $332 million bid, but Mbappé was not interested and reportedly refused to meet with representatives from the Saudi club in Paris.

Fallout and tensions

After being left out of the preseason tour, Mbappé posted a photo of himself online after training with some fringe players, stopping to sign autographs outside the club’s training complex.

The standoff continued when Mbappé was dropped for this season’s opening league game, watching from the stands as PSG drew 0-0.

With Lionel Messi gone and Neymar on his way to join Saudi club Al-Hilal, PSG coach Luis Enrique simply could not afford to keep overlooking Mbappé. He returned in the next league game and scored a penalty.

Time to leave

Relations appeared to be repaired for a while, but they took another turn for the worse when Mbappé informed club president Nasser Al Khelaifi in mid-February that he was leaving, although he did not go public until May 10.

In between times, Mbappé’s relationship with Enrique — knowing his best player would be leaving — reportedly became more tense.

Enrique showed his authority in recent weeks by either putting Mbappé on the bench or taking him off during important games.

Lower status

Mbappé’s near-untouchable status at PSG was suddenly in question. When Enrique replaced him midway through the second half against bitter rival Marseille on March 31, a surprised Mbappé appeared to mutter something negative as he walked off.

Enrique said he was rotating Mbappé to keep him fresher for the bigger games. They jumped into each other’s arms after PSG knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League quarterfinals, with Mbappé scoring twice in the second leg.

But resting Mbappé made no difference in the semifinals against Borussia Dortmund, with Mbappé failing to score as PSG lost both games 1-0.

Once again, PSG fell short in European soccer’s elite club competition. Mbappé’s last PSG match will be on May 25 in the French Cup final against Lyon.

Manchester City’s Erling Braut Haaland scores the team’s third goal against BSC Young Boys in the Champions League group game on October 25, 2023
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Newcastle was handed a Champions League reality check by Borussia Dortmund. A 1-0 loss to the German team at a soggy St. James’ Park on Wednesday was in stark contrast to Newcastle’s euphoric 4-1 thrashing of Paris Saint-Germain three weeks ago.

Turns out this hard-to-call group, which also contains AC Milan, might go right to the wire after all.

Dortmund ignited its Champions League campaign with a first win as Felix Nmecha turned in Nico Schlotterbeck’s cross in the 45th minute for what, surprisingly, was the only goal in an end-to-end encounter.

Newcastle, the top scorer in this season’s Premier League, couldn’t discover its clinical edge, hitting the goal frame twice in the second half through Callum Wilson and then Anthony Gordon in stoppage time.

Dortmund, which is in hot form after five straight wins in the German league, survived to join Newcastle on four points — two fewer than leader PSG.

Haaland, Mbappe on target

Superstar forwards Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé were both on target Wednesday to help boost their teams’ chances of reaching the Champions League knockout stage.

Haaland scored twice in defending champion Manchester City’s 3-1 win at Young Boys in Group G, while Mbappé set Paris Saint-Germain on the way to a crucial 3-0 home victory over AC Milan in Group F.

That broke a scoring drought in the competition for Haaland, who has nine in as many Premier League matches this season. Mbappé has eight in eight Ligue 1 games and also netted in PSG’s Champions League opener.

City now just needs to beat the same opponent in two weeks’ time to book its place in the last 16. Barcelona is in a similar situation after a 2-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk maintained a perfect start to its Champions League campaign too.

PSG leads a group that is getting ever tighter and leaves Milan, last season’s semifinalist, with the prospect of not even qualifying for the Europa League as a consolation.