The entire world has seen Shohei Ono win two Olympic golds, world championships and deliver ippon against everyone, everywhere. The entire world has seen Kylian Mbappé run at the speed of light, dribble past opponents and score impossible goals. What the world had never seen was these two champions together, until now! In addition, these legends met with the complicity of the kings of kings, Tadahiro Nomura and Teddy Riner. You could imagine yourself as a luxury witness, as is the whole world.
Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé and Shohei Ono

Paris Saint-Germain is on tour in Japan. The French football team is carrying out its pre-season in the land of Nomura and Ono and has packed Riner and fellow Olympic champion Djamel Bourras into their suitcases. With such luggage, a stop at Tokyo's iconic Kodokan was unavoidable. Seeing Mbappé with a judogi on, performing randori with Ono, well, what do you want us to say? These are things that don't happen every day. 

Teddy Riner with children

It was a friendly and endearing meeting between champions who speak the same language, the language of the highest demand, of the superlative level. It was a moment of concord and good humour and the photos record it all. It remains to be decided who is better, Mbappé playing judo, or Ono playing football, maybe one day we will know. 

See also
Outreach
Celebrating Achievements with the Loretta Doyle Judo Foundation

04. Jul. 2025 / The community-driven Loretta Doyle Judo Foundation ...

Athlete Stories
Shiho Tanaka - "The Most Important Thing is to Love It"

03. Jul. 2025 / Twenty-seven year old Shiho Tanaka (JPN) just missed ...

Interview
Julien Goes Around the World (30)

26. Jun. 2025 / Julien Brulard has been travelling the world with his ...

Interview
A First Experience

26. Jun. 2025 / Sebastian Richly is a journalist.

Judo for Refugees
The Judo Family Shows Its Solidarity on World Refugee Day

23. Jun. 2025 / The World Refugee Day is an international day designated ...

News
DIJF and IJF Meet in Budapest

23. Jun. 2025 / At the end of 2024, the IJF and the DIJF (Deaf International ...

OTP WJC 2025
Georgia! It's Georgia! World Mixed Team Champions!

20. Jun. 2025 / The final block began at 6pm sharp and flew by so fast, ...

OTP WJC 2025
The Mixed Team Preliminaries - Wow!

20. Jun. 2025 / In 2017 the mixed team format was included in the senior ...

Athletes' Commission
The New IJF Athletes' Commission Is Known

20. Jun. 2025 / During the OTP Bank World Judo Championships Hungary ...

Athlete Stories
Eteri Liparteliani: the Pioneer

20. Jun. 2025 / Since 1992, when Georgia first appeared at global sporting ...

Athlete Stories
A New Generation of Role Models

20. Jun. 2025 / Twenty-one year old Timur Arbuzov and twenty-three ...

OTP WJC 2025
From World Champions to Honoured Guests, the Whole Judo Family Wins

19. Jun. 2025 / Fourteen incredible judoka have been crowned in Budapest, ...

OTP WJC 2025
+100 kg: Tasoev Doubles His World Title

19. Jun. 2025 / In the last final of the OTP Bank World Judo Championships ...

INTERVIEW EXPRESS
Shishime Ai (JPN)

08. Jun. 2018 / The next reigning world champion to be invited to answer ...

News
5 Key Takeaways from judo’s first Tokyo 2020 qualifier

06. Jun. 2018 / Highlights from Hohhot Grand Prix 2018

VIDEO
Judo for the World in Iran

07. Jun. 2018 / In April 2018, the International Judo Federation and ...

Meeting
JUDO: A Beneficial Cause

07. Jun. 2018 / 'Society should believe in sport as a beneficial cause ...