Betclic angers Mbappé
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11 Jun 2026 •
Reading time: 3 minutes
Kylian Mbappé and several players from the French national team have asked the French Football Federation to prevent licensed betting operators from using their image in promotional campaigns without clear prior notification. The dispute arose following a Betclic campaign linked to the 2026 World Cup, which featured photos of several French internationals.
A campaign that reignites an old tension
The affair could have remained a simple commercial campaign centred on the French national team. With the 2026 World Cup approaching, a Betclic promotional campaign used images of several Les Bleus players, including Kylian Mbappé, Rayan Cherki, Désiré Doué, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé.
The photos used were taken at the Clairefontaine national training centre, the iconic venue for the French national team’s gatherings. It is there that the players prepare, train and regularly appear in content produced by the French Football Federation.
The commercial use of the images has caused unease. The players concerned have stated that they were not informed that a sports betting operator would be using their image in a promotional campaign. They want the federation to prevent licensed betting operators from using their image without stricter controls.
Mbappé at the heart of the matter
It is no coincidence that Kylian Mbappé finds himself at the centre of this latest controversy. The French striker had already objected to the use of his image in certain campaigns ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. At the time, he opposed partnerships linked in particular to betting operators and fast-food brands.
For Mbappé, players should not be automatically associated with all of an institution’s commercial partners, especially when such partnerships could affect their personal reputation. This stance resonated with several French internationals.
In this instance, Mbappé and other players are not merely objecting to appearing in a campaign. Above all, they are objecting to the lack of clear information regarding the use of their image by a brand linked to sports betting.
The role of the 2023 collective agreement
Following the tensions of 2022, discussions took place between players’ representatives, the national union of professional footballers and the French Football Federation. These talks led to a new collective agreement in 2023 regarding the image rights of French national team players.
This agreement was specifically intended to clarify the conditions under which the federation’s sponsors could use the image of international players. The aim was to avoid further disputes and to set clearer boundaries. In particular, it stipulated that federation sponsors could use the image of at least five players together as part of a collective promotion linked to the team.
Betclic’s campaign would appear to have complied with this threshold, as it featured several French players together. The images used were also reportedly taken from the federation’s official content. In other words, the operator would not necessarily have acted outside the framework set out in the 2023 agreement. If the formal rules were followed, the question then becomes one of the information provided to the players.
The French Football Federation finds itself in a delicate position. On the one hand, it has commercial agreements with partners who wish to use the national team’s image. On the other, it must deal with players whose individual fame is immense and whose demands regarding their image have become more stringent.
A battle over image ahead of the 2026 World Cup
As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the image of the French national team is set to become a major commercial issue. Sponsors will want to capitalise on the Les Bleus’ fame, whilst the players will seek to preserve their personal identity and reputation.
For Mbappé and the other players involved, the message seems clear: wearing the national jersey must not mean relinquishing all control over one’s image. For the federation, the challenge lies in safeguarding the value of its partnerships without reigniting the tensions that had already emerged ahead of the 2022 World Cup.