As the 2026 World Cup approaches, a new controversy is shaking up the French national team. Kylian Mbappé and Rayan Cherki are among the players who are speaking out against the use of their images in a sports betting advertising campaign without clear communication about its purpose. This issue brings back into focus the sensitive topic of image rights for French internationals.
With less than two weeks until their World Cup opener against Senegal, the Blues are facing an unexpected scandal. According to L’Équipe, several players were surprised to find their images featured in a promotional campaign related to sports betting, sparking strong reactions within the squad.
This topic is particularly sensitive for Kylian Mbappé, who has been fighting for years over the management of image rights for French players. In 2022, the captain of the Blues opposed the French Football Federation (FFF) regarding the commercial exploitation of the collective image of internationals by certain partners. This dispute ultimately led the FFF to revise its image rights agreement.
As the French squad actively prepares for the World Cup, this issue has resurfaced. Last Tuesday, during a day dedicated to the FFF’s commercial partners at Clairefontaine, several internationals participated in a photo shoot organized by the Federation.
Cherki and Mbappé are not happy
Just days later, the sports betting operator Betclic launched an online advertising campaign featuring five French players: Rayan Cherki, Kylian Mbappé, Désiré Doué, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembélé.
This initiative immediately annoyed the players involved. According to L’Équipe, the five internationals claim they were never informed that the photos taken during this shoot would be used for an advertising campaign for a betting company.
Among them, Mbappé and Cherki reportedly took the situation particularly hard. The two players did not want their images associated with promoting gambling and sports betting.
The matter has now reached the highest levels and could be examined more closely after the World Cup. For the FFF, this new episode is embarrassing, especially since the Federation thought it had settled the image rights issue after the standoff led by its captain a few years ago.
According to L’Équipe, Betclic has not committed any irregularities. The problem stems from the agreement between the FFF and the betting company, which allows for this type of use.
This new blunder adds to other recent tensions between the players and the Federation, particularly regarding World Cup bonuses and the number of tickets allocated to families during matches. These issues are expected to be addressed once the competition is over.
