World Cup 2026: Mbappé furious with the FFF after his image was used in a Betclic ad

Five players from the French national team – Kylian Mbappé, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, and Michael Olise – have contested the use of their image in an advertising campaign released by the online betting company Betclic, according to information from the daily L’Équipe published on Friday, June 6. The five internationals claim they were not informed that footage taken during a day reserved for commercial partners of the French Football Federation (FFF) on June 2 in Clairefontaine would be used for advertising purposes by this operator. The advertisement was released online on the evening of June 4.

Among the five players involved, Mbappé and Cherki are described by L’Équipe as being the most upset. The two internationals have never wanted to associate their image with the promotion of sports betting. For Mbappé, the issue is particularly sensitive as he had publicly justified a previous refusal by opposing bookmakers, believing that sports betting causes harm in working-class neighborhoods. Cherki shares this view.

Betclic is not being blamed in this case: as an official partner of the FFF, the operator had the contractual right to use the players’ images during partner days, in accordance with the agreement linking the federation to its commercial partners. The dispute concerns this agreement itself, which the players feel they were unable to refuse at the time of their first selection.

An unresolved precedent since 2022

This is not the first time Mbappé has clashed with the FFF on this issue. In September 2022, he boycotted an official photo session to refuse being associated with sponsors whose values he contested, with Betclic among them. The FFF had then committed to revising its image rights agreement, which dates back to 2010. This commitment has not led to a formal modification of the contractual framework in the meantime.

According to L’Équipe, the tension surrounding image rights adds to other existing frictions between the France team and its federation: a reduction in bonuses paid to players for the 2026 World Cup, and a limitation on the number of seats allocated to family members during the tournament matches. Three distinct issues that accumulate just days before the first match for the Blues.

The FFF has not publicly responded to L’Équipe’s information by the date of publication of this article. According to several sources, a formal resolution is not expected to occur until after the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.

The debut against Senegal

The French team will kick off the 2026 World Cup against Senegal, with their first group match scheduled in the coming days. Mbappé, captain of Les Bleus, arrived for this gathering carrying a left knee injury that had raised concerns in the previous weeks, following several months of intense demands from Real Madrid. The FFF had previously expressed tensions with the Madrid club regarding the physical management of their player.

The 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will take place from June 11 to July 19. This is the first edition contested by 48 teams.