Deschamps Defends Mbappé and France Players Over Image Rights and Sports Betting Campaigns

Didier Deschamps publicly defended his players on Monday after several of them expressed their dissatisfaction with the use of their image in advertising campaigns linked to online sports betting.

According to reports emerging during World Cup preparations, Kylian Mbappé, Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise are opposed to the exploitation of their image by Betclic, the official partner of the French national team. The issue adds to existing tensions surrounding bonuses and ticket allocations for players during matches.

When questioned in a press conference, the head coach acknowledged the problem without downplaying its significance. “There have always been discussions. Federations are not the employers of players, so they have image rights. There are charters. We try to make things go as smoothly as possible each time, but there can be excesses, whether through advertising campaigns, marketing today, it’s often to catch the eye, but it may not always be in line with the sport,” he said.

The issue is not new for Mbappé. In 2022, the France captain had already refused to participate in a Federation marketing operation, citing disagreements over the image rights charter. “Junk food, the promotion of sports betting… We are the French national team, we inspire. Some of us come from neighborhoods where this destroys countless people. It destroyed people I know,” he explained at the time.

France, World Cup runners-up, play their final warm-up match on Monday against Northern Ireland before heading to the United States for the tournament.