Mbappé and France Squad Challenge Federation Over Betclic Ad

Several France national team players, including Kylian Mbappé and Rayan Cherki, have confronted the French Football Federation over the use of their images in a Betclic advertisement, according to L’Équipe. The photos were taken during a training session at Clairefontaine on the Tuesday before the match, and the players say they were never told the images would appear in a betting campaign.

Mbappé and Cherki are reported to be the most unhappy. Neither had any interest in promoting sports betting, and the wider squad has since rallied behind them. The group has agreed not to escalate the situation before the World Cup, with any formal action against the federation expected after the tournament ends.

The dispute centres on the collective image rights agreement signed between the federation and player representatives in September 2023. Under that deal, a collective image is defined as the use of at least five squad members in the same medium, a threshold Betclic met when building its campaign. The same agreement requires sponsorship activities to be reviewed by a committee including the captain, vice-captain, the federation president and the head of the French players’ union, specifically to avoid conflicts with players’ personal values. That process does not appear to have worked as intended.

The players’ frustration is not directed at Betclic, which acted within its contractual rights. The criticism is aimed at the federation for approving the campaign without adequately informing the players involved.

Mbappé’s position on gambling advertising is not new. Speaking to Canal+ in 2024, he said: “We represent the France national team. We are role models. Some of us come from areas where this destroys the lives of countless people. It has destroyed the lives of people I know.” His lawyer Delphine Verheyden raised the same concern in March 2022, during early negotiations over the image rights framework. “Image is a reputation associated with values,” Verheyden said. “It’s important that players are in tune with the advertisements they participate in. They have a role as role models for a young audience.”

The Betclic dispute is the latest friction between the squad and the federation. Players are also unhappy with a proposed cut to World Cup bonuses and a ticket allocation of eight per player, which the group considers insufficient.

France open their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Senegal, alongside Iraq and Norway.

💡 TGJ Take

Betclic did nothing wrong here is the contract was followed. The problem is the federation treated its own governance process as a formality, and now a sponsor’s name is attached to a squad dispute ten days before France’s World Cup opener. For gambling operators negotiating federation partnerships, the lesson is clear: collective image clauses give legal cover, not player consent. Direct communication with player representatives before a campaign goes live is what actually protects the brand. No contract clause fixes reputational exposure after the fact.