Did Kylian Mbappé pass away? Viral car accident following Barcelona victory claim debunked

An unfounded rumor about Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé surfaced on Facebook following his team’s victory over FC Barcelona. 

A Facebook post from the VAR South Africa page claimed that the French soccer player had an accident after his club secured a victory in El Clásico on Sunday. The original poster asserted that a vehicle slammed into Mbappé’s car when he was driving home an hour after the match against Barcelona. The post reads,

“Around 7:30 PM local time in Madrid, Spain, a reckless vehicle slammed straight into Kylian Mbappé’s car as he was driving home just one hour after his stunning victory over Barcelona – a shocking blow that’s rocking the football world!” 

The VAR South Africa page also mentioned a blog covering the unverified news about the France national team captain. No evidence suggests that Kylian Mbappé had an accident after his Sunday night game. Mbappé is well and alive.

The French forward also debunked the death hoax by posting Instagram Stories and a post celebrating El Clásico win. Mbappé scored a goal 22 minutes into the Sunday game. He also broke into the top three scorers against FC Barcelona, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. 

It’s not the first time fake rumors about Kylian Mbappé’s accident have emerged on Facebook. In the past few months, multiple Facebook accounts have propagated unconfirmed claims about the former Paris Saint-Germain player. Additionally, the VAR South Africa page has been notorious for spreading fake news and death hoaxes about other celebrities in the past. 

Kylian Mbappé was hospitalized due to acute gastroenteritis in June

In June, Real Madrid was among the qualified teams that participated in the month-long FIFA Club World Cup. Kylian Mbappé missed out on playing in the team’s opening game on June 18 against Al-Hilal, which ended in a 1-1 draw. 

The next day, Real Madrid issued a medical update surrounding its forward. It confirmed that the star forward did not play in the match due to acute gastroenteritis. The club added that Mbappé was hospitalized and underwent “various tests and treatment.” Real Madrid also confirmed,

“Our player Kylian Mbappé was discharged from the hospital this afternoon and has returned to the Real Madrid training camp. Mbappé will continue receiving specific medical treatment and will gradually return to team activity.”

Earlier this month, Mbappé sustained an ankle injury while playing for the France national team in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan. He missed the next game against Iceland and returned to Madrid to join his club. After recovering, Mbappé featured in Real Madrid's match against Getafe on Sunday, October 19.