THE NETWORK
Jires Kembo Ekoko: The Cousin Who Was There Before the Fame
Jires Kembo Ekoko is a former professional footballer — he played in Ligue 1 for Rennes, Valenciennes, and several other clubs across a career that spanned more than a decade. He is also Kylian Mbappe’s cousin. His relationship with Mbappe predates the Real Madrid contract, the PSG years, and the 2018 World Cup. It is one of the few personal relationships in the inner circle that is not defined by a professional function.
The Football Connection
Kembo Ekoko’s professional career gave him a perspective on elite French football that other family members lack. He played at the highest domestic level, understands dressing room dynamics, and has first-hand knowledge of the physical and mental demands of a professional footballer’s life. For Mbappe, whose inner circle is dominated by business professionals and legal advisors, Kembo Ekoko represents something different: a relative who has lived the same professional experience at a different level.
He has been photographed with Mbappe at personal events and is understood to be a regular presence in the wider family network. His role is informal rather than institutional — he is not a director of any Mbappe corporate entity — but informal proximity in an inner circle of this scale carries its own significance.
For the full family and network profile, see the Mbappe Inner Circle analysis.
— Victor Blanc | Mbappe Live | Football Business Correspondent
About the author
Victor Blanc
Football Business Correspondent at Mbappé Live. Covers contracts, sponsorships, investment strategy, and the financial architecture behind elite sport.
