Kylian Mbappe among 26 alleged targets in French kidnapping plot investigation

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe walks on the pitch during the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Malaga in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Kylian Mbappe was reportedly among 26 wealthy and high-profile individuals whose addresses and personal information were found by French investigators during an investigation into an alleged kidnapping plot. The Real Madrid and France star was said to have been one of several potential targets identified on mobile phones seized from an 18-year-old suspect who was allegedly continuing to run a criminal organisation from prison. The list reportedly also included a rapper, a Chinese businessman, jewellers and a Turkish meat trader.

Mbappe among 26 alleged targets

According to French newspaper Le Parisien, investigators discovered the addresses of 26 wealthy individuals on two mobile phones seized from the 18-year-old suspect, identified as Clément L. Mbappe was reportedly among the names on the list, alongside a rapper and several wealthy businessmen. Those other alleged targets included a Chinese businessman, jewellers and a Turkish meat trader, with investigators reportedly finding information that could have been used to identify or locate them. The discovery came as authorities investigated the activities of the teenager, who allegedly continued directing a criminal organisation despite being held in prison. The case therefore concerns an alleged plot rather than a kidnapping that was carried out. Investigators are now seeking to determine how far the organisation had progressed, whether any of the potential targets were actually approached or monitored, and what each person under investigation allegedly did. Mbappe's inclusion is nevertheless particularly striking given his status as one of the most recognisable footballers in the world and his position as Real Madrid and France's captain.

Suspect allegedly ran gang from his prison cell

Clément L was already in pre-trial detention in connection with allegations of pimping and organised robbery when investigators discovered that he was allegedly continuing to issue instructions from inside prison. According to Le Parisien, prison guards seized two mobile phones from him. Investigators then examined their contents and reportedly found information relating to the 26 alleged targets. The teenager was allegedly operating on Snapchat under the alias "Lester Z", using the phones to communicate and issue instructions to people outside the prison. A source close to the case told Le Parisien that the contents of the phones were particularly revealing. "Two phones were seized by prison guards, and their contents were highly revealing," the source said. The same source added: "He also wanted to go after a rapper and the footballer Kylian Mbappe." The investigation reportedly began after authorities were looking into a separate robbery at a luxury watch shop in Neuilly-sur-Seine last April. Clément L had already been identified as one of two men allegedly involved in the attack on the watchmaker, which had led to his detention over armed robbery. The discovery of the phones subsequently opened a much wider line of investigation into the alleged criminal organisation and its potential plans.

What happened when the teenager was questioned?

During questioning, Clément L reportedly rejected the suggestion that he was the mastermind behind the alleged operation. He also asked to be released from solitary confinement, but that request was refused and he was ordered to remain there while the investigation continues. The teenager reportedly dropped out of school during the first year of a vocational qualification in cooking. He told investigators that he wanted to resume his education and eventually become a chef.

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Despite those claims about his future plans, he remains in pre-trial detention as authorities investigate the much more serious allegations surrounding the criminal organisation. His alleged accomplice has meanwhile been released under judicial supervision. That individual was challenging the measure on Wednesday before the Versailles investigating chamber. The investigation must now establish precisely how the alleged kidnapping operation was organised, how much preparation had taken place and whether the information found on the seized phones translated into concrete plans against any of the 26 people named.

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