France caught in World Cup plane controversy linked to ICE deportations

France finds itself at the heart of an unexpected controversy during the 2026 World Cup: the planes used for its domestic travel in the United States belong to an airline closely linked to ICE deportation operations, the U.S. immigration police.

It was the Guardian that uncovered this affair by cross-referencing data from specialized platforms Flightradar24 and ICE Flight Monitor. Journalists traced the flight history of Global Crossing Airlines (Global X) aircraft spotted in videos published by the French staff, and established that these same planes had been used to deport foreigners from U.S. territory in 2024 and 2025, at the height of ICE activity under the Trump administration.

The most specific example cited by the investigation concerns the flight that brought France back from Philadelphia to Boston after their quarterfinal qualification: the aircraft in question was reportedly chartered 44 times to carry out the deportation of approximately 950 people.

Facing the controversy, the French Football Federation (FFF) sought to clear its responsibility. According to Le Parisien, the FFF clarified that “the aircraft made available to the teams are chartered by FIFA and the Blues have no choice of airlines for their trips within the United States”.

France’s geographical situation in this World Cup had seemed favorable: topping their group, Didier Deschamps’ side played mainly on the East Coast — Philadelphia, Boston, New York — thus limiting their travel. A possible semifinal against Morocco would, however, take them to Dallas. But it is ultimately the question of air service providers, decided by world football’s governing body, that enters the spotlight for the Blues.