Liberté, Egalité, Mbappé! – At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, French superstar Kylian Mbappé is in the spotlight. Unlike the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, this time he arrives as captain of the French national team – with only one goal: to bring the trophy back to Paris.
French football star Kylian Mbappé was photographed in May 2026 by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz for the Sports Issue of Vanity Fair magazine.
The extensive cover interview for Vanity Fair's Sports Issue sheds light on Kylian Mbappé's life during a period of extreme sporting and political pressure. The interview and photo shoot took place in a hotel suite at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C., where Kylian Mbappé was staying with the French national team for friendly matches.
In this interview, Kylian discusses his high-profile move to Real Madrid and reflects on his first few months in the Spanish capital. He expresses surprise at the culture and praises the relaxed, warm-hearted way of life of the Spanish people. His (still rather modest) cooking skills, his idol Cristiano Ronaldo, and, not least, the worrying social developments in France, his homeland, are also topics of discussion.
Annie Leibovitz is represented by the agency LGA MANAGEMENT, Paris - London - NYC.
