Kylian Mbappé is one of the biggest superstars in world football right now. As a key player for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and the French national team, the 24-year-old forward grabs headlines both on and off the pitch. Recently, Mbappé has been hitting gossip columns as well, with rumors swirling about him dating transgender model Ines Rau.
Ines Rau made history in 2017 when she became the first openly transgender Playboy Playmate, appearing in Playboy’s November 2017 issue. She is also a staunch activist for transgender rights and awareness.
Mbappé and Rau have reportedly been seen together at events in France, sparking speculation about a new high-profile celebrity couple. But are the soccer player and model actually dating? Let’s take a closer look at the rumors surrounding the rumored relationship between PSG’s No. 7 and the trailblazing transgender beauty.
Who is Ines Rau? Get to Know the Reported New Love Interest of Kylian Mbappé
Ines Rau, 32, was born in Paris to Algerian parents. Assigned male at birth in 1990, Rau came out as transgender at age 16 and underwent gender reassignment surgery when she was 20.
Rau forged a successful career in fashion modeling, walking the runway for Jean Paul Gaultier and appearing in Vogue Italia. Though modeling jobs were still hard to come by for transgender people at the time, Rau’s striking good looks opened doors.
“I wasn’t scared at all,” she told Playboy about deciding to model. “My motivation was, ‘Am I beautiful or not?’ That’s what I wanted to know.”
Her big break came in 2017 when she posed nude for Playboy, becoming the first openly transgender Playmate in the magazine’s 64-year history. The move was hailed as progressive step for transgender visibility and a milestone in the fight for equal rights. “Nudity shouldn’t be taboo,” Rau proclaimed.
“Nudity means a lot to me, since I went through a transition to get where I want to be now.”
Beyond modeling, Rau co-founded an organization called Kordale and Kaleb, which aims to challenge gender stereotypes.
She considers herself an activist second, and model first. “If you type ‘trans’ into a search engine, you’ll see many disgusting things,” she told Vogue Italia. “I want to fight against that.”
Rau keeps her personal life private. But if dating rumors are true, a romance with a world soccer sensation would thrust her further still into the spotlight as an icon for the transgender community.
A Timeline of Kylian Mbappé and Ines Rau’s Rumored Relationship: From First Sighting to Present
Kylian Mbappé has been linked to plenty of stunning supermodels through the years. From his rumored fling with Miss France 2017 Alicia Aylies, to dating French actress Emma Smet in 2021, to his brief relationship with Britain’s Next Top Model alum Georgia May Heath, the French footballer doesn’t have any shortage of glamorous love interests.
But when Mbappé attended the famous Canes Film Festival last May, it was with Ines Rau by his side…and rumors immediately caught fire about football’s rising superstar dating the boundary-breaking transgender model.
First Spotted Together
Kylian Mbappé and Ines Rau were photographed together for the first time at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, site of the exclusive Canes Film Festival red carpet and afterparties.
Mbappé cut a dapper figure in a tailored black suit, while Rau shone in a form-fitting gold sequined gown with a thigh-high slit. They were seen chatting closely amidst the celebrity-studded event.
From their body language and intimate whispers, gossip blogs speculated that the soccer star and model were more than friends.
Sightings Around Paris
After Canes, the Paris locals were spotted out together at various hotspots around the city through the summer and fall of 2022.
In July, Mbappé and Rau had dinner at upscale Paris bistro Apicius. They requested a private table in the back per reports. Later that month, they attended the Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping event together, though did not walk the red carpet.
In September, the rumored couple was seen leaving the members-only club Les Jardins du Faubourg. Mbappé pulled some strings to get Rau into the exclusive venue. They partied late into the night with friends.
Most recently in November, Mbappé and Rau had courtside seats at a Paris Saint-Germain basketball game. They weren’t overt about showing affection, but their repeated joint appearances have gossips convinced they are an item.
Flirty Instagram Interactions
Ines Rau does not use social media very actively, but Kylian Mbappé is quite engaged on platforms like Instagram. He has an impressive 75.7 million followers on his verified Instagram account.
Fans spotted what they thought were flirtatious exchanges between Mbappé and Rau’s Instagram handles over the past few months. Nothing overt…but some subtle fire and smile emojis that hinted at romance beyond mere friendship between the stars.
Of course, both parties have stayed mum about their relationship status. But the rumor mill continues to churn out sightings and speculation about this budding cross-industry power couple.
Kylian Mbappé’s Exes: The Models and Actresses Linked to the Star Striker
Before Ines Rau captured Kylian Mbappé’s attention (allegedly!), the French footballer made headlines for his A-list dating history. He seems to have a thing for models and fashionistas. Let’s check out some of Kylian Mbappé’s former girlfriends:
Alicia Aylies
Mbappé reportedly had a fling with Alicia Aylies, the striking beauty who snagged the Miss France crown in 2017. They had a short-lived but steamy relationship according to tabloids.
Emma Smet
In the summer of 2021, Kylian Mbappé began dating Emma Smet, a popular French actress best known for her role on the series Demain nous appartient (“Tomorrow is Ours”). They made things official on Instagram to the delight of fans. But the romance soon fizzled out after just a few months.
Georgia May Heath
Kylian Mbappé also briefly dated British model Georgia May Heath. Their relationship flew under the radar, but they did attend a few sporting events together in Paris in late 2021/early 2022 before splitting. Georgia has appeared on Britain & Ireland Next Top Model.
Despite his epic dating history already, Mbappé is only 24-years-old and still establishing himself on the pitch. Many think he will continue dividing his energy between football and celebrity girlfriends in the prime years of his career.
Which brings us back to the present day and those persistent rumors about Kylian Mbappé and transgender rights advocate Ines Rau as an item. If their rumored romance holds true, it would catapult model-activist Rau into a whole new level of international fame.
The Dating History of Ines Rau: From Playmate to Potential WAG
Beyond her barrier-breaking appearance as *Playboy’*s first transgender playmate in November 2017, not much is known about Ines Rau’s dating history. As mentioned, Rau likes to keep her private and personal life under wraps, letting her modeling and activism speak for themselves.
While she hasn’t been formally linked with many celebrity partners, it’s likely the stunning Parisian has had her fair share of high-profile suitors through beauty and fashion circles.
It would be understandable for Ines Rau to keep relationships out of the spotlight considering her visible advocacy roles and the scrutiny still surrounding transgender figures.
Now Rau may be getting a crash course in intense public attention if in fact she and Kylian Mbappé prove to be an item. Not only is Mbappé one of the most dynamic soccer talents in the world, he has transcended sport to become a marketable pop culture force in modeling, fashion, music and more.
Any partner on his arm would be thrust into the glare of the public eye.
As of now, neither Kylian nor Ines has confirmed their dating status outright amidst multiple sightings. But they wouldn’t be breaking this subtly for no reason if there wasn’t something going on behind the scenes.
Maybe they are still in early stages and hesitant to loudly publicize a relationship.
Time will tell, but the rumor mill is churning faster every time this high-profile pair steps out together. The possibility of a World Cup superstar dating a transgender fashion icon and activist would certainly send shockwaves around the world. It has all the makings of Hollywood’s next power couple if “KyNes” continues to heat up in 2023!
Hello I am Gavin Hunt,
I has covered sports for over 20 years. I started writing for his college newspaper.
I reported on college sports. After graduating, became a sports reporter for a small local paper.
For ten years, I covered local high school and amateur games.
I profiled struggling athletes, inspiring readers. Later, I moved to the main city paper as lead columnist.
Now I travels nationally covering pro hometown teams.
My entertaining columns are widely read. With a big social media following, I has become the city’s top sports pundit.
