World Cup history, Girlfriend reveal? Mbappé’s deleted Ester Expósito post sparks frenzy after record-breaking night

Kylian Mbappé’s latest World Cup appearance will be remembered for far more than France’s dramatic defeat to England in the third-place playoff.

On a night that saw the Real Madrid superstar rewrite football history, the 27-year-old also found himself at the center of another viral moment after appearing to accidentally share a photo of Spanish actress Ester Expósito on his Instagram Stories before quickly deleting it.

The image, however, had already been captured by fans.

Within minutes, screenshots flooded social media, with supporters describing the deleted post as the strongest public acknowledgement yet of the couple’s widely reported relationship.

Despite France falling 6-4 to England in Miami, Mbappé produced another remarkable individual performance.

The French captain found the net during the third-place playoff to move to 22 career FIFA World Cup goals, overtaking Lionel Messi to become the highest-scoring player in World Cup history.

The goal also saw Mbappé finish the tournament as the all-time leading scorer, on course to secure the Golden Boot after another prolific World Cup campaign.

While France missed out on a podium finish, the evening further cemented Mbappé’s status as one of the greatest players the tournament has ever seen.

Among those watching from the stands was Ester Expósito.

The 26-year-old Spanish actress attended the match, openly supporting the French superstar during one of the biggest nights of his international career.

Her appearance marked another chapter in a romance that has dominated entertainment and football headlines for months.

Pulse Sports earlier reported that rumours linking the pair first intensified after they were repeatedly spotted together in Madrid and Paris earlier this year.

Although neither has officially confirmed the relationship, Expósito herself recently admitted that football has become a major part of her life since growing close to Mbappé, admitting the ongoing World Cup has also created an unusual dilemma describing it as “a nightmare.”

She has gradually become a regular presence around the France captain during the World Cup, with her appearance against England attracting widespread attention.

After the match, Mbappé appeared to upload an Instagram Story featuring Expósito wearing France's No. 10 full kit, before deleting it moments later.

The now-viral screenshot showed the actress proudly wearing his France shirt inside her hotel room.

Although the post disappeared almost immediately, fans had already preserved it.

Social media quickly erupted, with many describing the moment as the couple’s biggest “soft launch” yet after months of speculation.

One user wrote: 'Now this is the most sweetest and subtle soft launch ever.'

Another user quipped: 'this is adorable she’s so cute'

One other user reacted with, 'F**k the World Cup trophy he’s the real winner.'

For many supporters, the deleted Story ultimately became almost as talked about as Mbappé’s record-breaking achievement itself.