Why is Kylian Mbappé called “Ninja Turtle”? The story behind football’s most famous nickname

Nicknames in football are rarely random. Some come from playing style. Some come from personality. Others are born in locker-room jokes that grow into worldwide memes. The nickname “Ninja Turtle” for Kylian Mbappé is one of the most famous — and it started as a lighthearted joke that followed him from the dressing room to the entire internet.

Let’s break down where it came from, why it stuck, and how Mbappé himself reacted.

The simple reason: the resemblance joke

The nickname began because some teammates and fans noticed a playful resemblance between Mbappé and the animated characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — especially the facial shape and big, cheerful smile. It wasn’t about his football ability at first — just a bit of locker-room humor that spread fast.

In elite football dressing rooms, playful teasing is common. When Mbappé arrived at Paris Saint-Germain as a teenager, older teammates joked with him the way squads often do with young stars.

One joke turned into a meme. The meme turned into a nickname. The nickname went global.

The dressing room moment that made it famous

The nickname really exploded during Mbappé’s early years at Paris Saint-Germain. Teammates publicly joked about it, and one of them even gifted him a Ninja Turtle mask as a prank. Photos and videos of Mbappé laughing along circulated online — and once the internet gets hold of a football joke, there’s no stopping it.

From that point on:

• Fans started using the nickname on social media

• Meme pages amplified it

• Commentators occasionally referenced it jokingly

• It became part of football pop culture

What started as a private joke became a global one.

Why the nickname stuck (beyond the joke)

Interestingly, the nickname survived not just because of the resemblance, but because it accidentally fits Mbappé’s playing style in a fun way:

Like a “Ninja Turtle,” Mbappé is known for:

• Explosive speed

• Sudden bursts of movement

• Sneaky attacking runs behind defenses

• Quick directional changes

• Fearless attacking energy

Fans love nicknames that feel symbolic, and this one ended up matching his on-field explosiveness — even though that wasn’t the original reason.

How Mbappé reacted to it

Here’s the key part: Mbappé didn’t get angry or defensive. He laughed it off.

That matters.

When a star embraces a joke instead of fighting it, the tone stays playful instead of cruel. Over time, Mbappé showed he understood it was meant humorously — and his relaxed reaction helped keep it from turning into something mean-spirited.

Athletes who can laugh at themselves often win even more respect from fans.

Nicknames are part of football culture

Football history is packed with unusual nicknames:

• Players named after animals

• Superheroes

• Cartoon characters

• Movie villains

• Video game icons

Most start as inside jokes and grow into fan culture. The Mbappé “Ninja Turtle” nickname is just a modern, internet-age version of something football has always done — only now memes make it spread faster than ever.

Final takeaway

Mbappé is called “Ninja Turtle” because of a playful resemblance joke that began among teammates and went viral online. It stuck because:

• It was funny

• He handled it with good humor

• Fans love memorable nicknames

• It oddly fits his lightning-fast playing style

Today, it’s less of an insult and more of a pop-culture football nickname — one attached to one of the fastest and most exciting forwards of his generation.