Certain celebrity stories can go viral without a press release. No red carpet debut, no well-crafted statement. A captain’s armband, a fleeting Instagram story, a France national team jersey, and an extremely fast delete button.
That’s essentially what happened when Kylian Mbappé, who had just won the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot for the second time in a row, seemed to give the internet a brief glimpse into his personal life that they were unwilling to let go of. In what appeared to be a hotel room, Spanish actress Ester Expňito was seen wearing what was clearly Mbappé’s own uniform. It vanished in a matter of seconds. However, the internet is faster than a football player’s second thoughts, as anyone who frequently takes screenshots is aware.
It was difficult to miss the timing. In the third-place match in Miami, France had just suffered a heartbreaking 6-4 loss to England, which hurt a team that many had anticipated would go much farther.
Nevertheless, a few hours later, Mbappé was seen watching DJ Cloonee perform at LIV Nightclub with Expávito and a small group of friends. The two had dinner at Papi Steak earlier that evening, a Miami eatery that seems to draw celebrities in the same way that goal nets draw Mbappé’s shots.
Public attention is nothing new to Ester Exp“ito. The 26-year-old Spanish actress gained international recognition as Carla Rosón Caleruega in the first three seasons of Netflix’s Elite. It’s the kind of character that people remember years after finishing a series, one that transcends language barriers. She has steadily transitioned into film and larger international projects since leaving Elite in 2020, such as the Mexican television series Bandidos. Before she was old enough to drive, she was winning theater awards in Madrid, which speaks to the kind of early career discipline that is difficult to imitate.
It’s intriguing how long these two have been subtly circling each other in the public eye without making any firm statements. Back in March, Expávito was allegedly seen watching a Madrid derby from a VIP box at the Santiago Bernabeu. She was seen in the stands during Miami Stadium’s World Cup third-place game. These appearances are not coincidental. Unless there’s a good reason, you don’t fly to see someone perform.
Expávito has routinely sidestepped questions from interviewers. For his part, Mbappé has established a reputation for being very private. After a protracted and emotionally taxing tournament, the deleted Instagram story seemed to be an accident, or perhaps an act of impulse. He might have momentarily forgotten how many people were observing. Following Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final one day after France’s elimination, the two were spotted dining together once more, adding a new dimension to a story that was already widely reported.
Neither has made any public confirmations. As of right now, that remains true. However, the picture being painted here doesn’t need much interpretation because of the matching uniform, the Miami nightclub, the restaurant dinners, the stadium sightings, and one particularly memorable online photo that lasted only five minutes.
There’s a feeling that both Mbappé and Expávito would prefer to maintain this relationship on its own terms, quietly, and purposefully. It hardly matters anymore whether the removed post was a soft signal or an error. The narrative is now moving forward on its own. And that momentum isn’t going to slow down anytime soon in the middle of Miami summer, the week following a World Cup.
