Kylian Mbappe’s star girlfriend Ester Exposito celebrates Spain’s World Cup triumph

France’s FIFA World Cup campaign came to an end in the semi-finals, but captain Kylian Mbappe still had a keen interest in Sunday’s final – perhaps more so because of his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Lionel Messi than the result itself.

However, Mbappé’s reported girlfriend, Spanish actress Ester Exposito, had a much more personal reason to care about the outcome. With Spain reaching the final, Exposito was fully behind her home country and made her celebrations clear on social media after La Roja lifted the World Cup.

The actress shared a story on social media featuring what appeared to be a FaceTime call with two friends moments after the final. The friends seemed to be celebrating on the streets, while an elated Exposito could be seen smiling in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Exposito had found herself in a difficult position during the semi-final, when Spain faced Mbappe’s France. Asked about her allegiance before the match, the actress took a diplomatic approach and refused to pick a winner.

“That’s a difficult choice for me,” she said.

Spain eventually defeated France 2-0 to book their place in the final against Argentina. With no divided loyalties this time, Expósito was free to celebrate Spain’s triumph – and she did so publicly on social media.

Mbappe, meanwhile, may have had an emotional connection to the final given his past relationship with Messi as a teammate at PSG. However, the France captain is likely to have been more focused on the disappointment of his own team’s semi-final defeat to the eventual world champions.

Born on January 26, 2000, Exposito rose to international fame through her role as Carla Rosón Caleruega in the Netflix series Élite. The Madrid-born actress began pursuing acting professionally at a young age and has since appeared in several television series and films, establishing herself as one of Spain’s prominent young stars.

Rumours linking Exposito romantically with Mbappé began circulating in 2024 after the pair were reportedly spotted together at football matches, restaurants and on trips across Europe. Neither has publicly confirmed a relationship, however, leaving fans to speculate about their connection.

Interest in the actress’s relationship with the French football star intensified following France’s World Cup semi-final defeat.

Before the rumours surrounding Mbappe, Exposito had also been linked with Brazilian star Vinícius Júnior, Mbappe’s Real Madrid teammate. The two were reportedly seen together at a Travis Scott concert in Madrid in 2024, but Exposito later clarified that they were friends and dismissed the romantic speculation.