Macron defends Mbappé as ‘national treasure’ after foiled kidnap plot
Kylian Mbappé
Abdullateef Fowewe
French President Emmanuel Macron has moved to reassure the public and protect Kylian Mbappé after reports that the Real Madrid forward was named on a prison-orchestrated kidnapping and robbery list.
Macron while reacting to the incident says, “Attempt to kidnap Kylian Mbappé? No one will touch Kylian.
“He has worn the France jersey, he is a national treasure”.
The alarm came after a French police investigation uncovered what authorities describe as a criminal network coordinated from inside Villepinte prison, near Paris, by an 18-year-old Franco-Swiss inmate identified as Clément L.
Prison guards confiscated two mobile phones from his cell, and a forensic analysis revealed a chilling document: a list of 26 high-profile, high-net-worth targets whose addresses and personal details were allegedly compiled for potential abduction and robbery.
According to judicial sources cited by Le Parisien, the list included footballers, rappers, jewelers and businessmen—including a Chinese wholesaler and a Turkish meat distributor—with Mbappé among the most prominent names.
Investigators say the suspect, who used the alias “Lester Z,” communicated with accomplices on the outside via Snapchat to issue instructions and coordinate activities while serving time for prior offences including armed robbery and pimping.
Authorities stress that the plan targeting Mbappé did not progress beyond planning and intelligence-gathering; there is no indication he was approached or that an abduction attempt was carried out.
The broader inquiry gained momentum after an attempted robbery and then an armed heist at a Neuilly-sur-Seine watchmaker’s shop in April and May 2026, which yielded forensic leads that ultimately traced back to Clément L.
On August 21, 2026, Clément L. was formally charged in Nanterre with organized gang robbery and placed in solitary confinement as the judicial investigation continues.
An accomplice was also charged, and police have carried out multiple raids since April as they work to dismantle the network and secure other names on the list.
