A not-so-new nickname used to refer to French professional footballer Kylian Mbappé has been trending on social media on and off since the early days of his career at the PSG (Paris Saint-Germain Football Club) in 2017. The "Mbappé Turtle" or "Mbappé Donatello" nickname often resurfaces online every time the footballer is being targeted or made fun of.

How did Mbappé get the nickname, and what exactly is his connection with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character Donatello? Let's uncover the story behind the Mpbappé Turtle meme and more in our brief explainer.

What Does 'Mbappé Turtle' Mean?

Kylian Mbappé's historical debut in the French PSG club got lots of media and fans' attention back in September 2017. During his welcome prank on the football team thrown by veteran players, they nicknamed him "Mbappé Donatello" and "Mbappé Turtle" for his facial similarity with the character Donatello from the cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. A video from September 8th, 2017, shows his teammates poking fun at him shouting the character's name (seen below).

PSG teammates bantering Kylian Mbappe for looking like Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 🐸🎤😂 pic.twitter.com/uVYEARaLBt

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) September 8, 2017

The nickname also stuck with Mbappé fans, as in December 2017, in the middle of a Ligue 1 match between Rennes – PSG, three fans entered the field disguised as Ninja Turtles in hommage to Mbappé. X user @philousports posted a video of the event.

allez c'est bon fin du game pic.twitter.com/JI7ZhcG38x

— Philou (@philousports) December 16, 2017

How Is 'Mbappé Turtle' Used In Memes?

Leading up to Mbappé's worldwide fame as one of the best professional footballers of his generation, fans and haters used the nicknames "Mbappé Turtle" and "Mbappé Donatello" in memes and jokes on social media. For example, on June 30th, 2018, a montage(seen below, top) of the player with the cartoon character was posted on X by @FraanCarboneli7 and, on July 1st, 2018, X user @pyrorivarola posted a similar comparison.

Moving forward to 2024, after the footballer got his nose injured during an EURO 2024 match, news reported that he would have to play with a face mask for the remaining matches of the championship. The announcement prompted netizens to request that he should try a ninja turtle mask to join the meme, as X user @Jitu172 shared on June 17th, 2024, a montage of what he would look like with the ninja mask.

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For the full history of Mbappé Donatello, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.