The French men’s national soccer team, featuring star player Kylian Mbappé, has been traveling on charter flights operated by a company linked to the Trump administration’s controversial mass deportation efforts.
Social media images and flight tracking information indicate that the team has utilized Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) for at least three domestic flights between their World Cup matches and their base in Boston. Notably, this airline has conducted over half of ICE’s deportation flights in 2024 and 2025.
A 2025 investigation revealed by the Guardian delved into the Trump administration’s deportation program, analyzing five months of leaked data from GlobalX. The report highlighted how the company has acted as a crucial facilitator in transporting thousands of detainees—both domestically and internationally—often without prior notice, leading to significant violations of due process rights. Among the various destinations, detainees have been flown to the notorious mega-prison in El Salvador, Cecot, with many reporting inadequate information about their flight paths and the experience of being shackled.
GlobalX has yet to respond to inquiries for comment, and representatives of the French national team have also remained silent after multiple requests.
The aircraft used by the French team after their match against Paraguay has been involved in 44 deportation-related flights this year and approximately 950 since 2022. Notably, the plane that transported the French players on July 4 was reported to have recently transferred detained immigrants from an Arizona facility to Louisiana just three days earlier, according to ICE Flight Monitor data.
Sierra Randolph, a data manager with ICE Flight Monitor, commented on the situation, stating, “It’s common for certain carriers to oscillate between operating ICE flights and other private entity charter flights, including athletic teams, within a week or even on the same day,”
The inquiry into this issue was prompted by a video shared on the team’s official Instagram, which captured players, including Bayern Munich forward Michael Olise, boarding a flight from Philadelphia to Boston following their 1-0 win over Paraguay. A GlobalX logo sticker was visible as Olise passed a flight attendant.
The Guardian’s analysis of data from the flight tracking service Flightradar24 revealed that an Airbus departed from Philadelphia International Airport around midnight on July 5, arriving at Boston Logan International Airport shortly thereafter. Researchers from ICE Flight Monitor were able to correlate this flight with an aircraft they routinely track for immigration enforcement operations.
The French team boasts several players who are vocal about their political convictions, with Mbappé being a prominent figure. As the captain, whose heritage includes a father from Cameroon and a mother of Algerian descent, he is celebrated as one of the country’s greatest talents. He has consistently voiced his opposition to far-right politics in France, denouncing the rise of the National Rally party as “falling into the hands of these people” and urging the youth to prevent the country from “falling into the hands of these people.”
Mbappé’s teammates have echoed his views; forwards Ousmane Dembélé and Marcus Thuram, along with defender Jules Koundé, have all encouraged French citizens to engage politically. Thuram’s father, Lilian Thuram, a World Cup champion, has long been an activist. Even Zinedine Zidane, regarded as one of football’s all-time greats, has spoken out against National Rally candidate Marine Le Pen.
This week, Mbappé made headlines again when he rebuked a Paraguayan senator, calling her a “despicable woman” in response to her racist remarks aimed at him.
Members of the National Rally have reacted dismissively to the criticisms from the French national team, adopting a “shut up and dribble” mentality that has become prevalent in professional sports. Like many national teams, the French squad is multicultural and is often viewed as a reflection of the country’s diverse society.
France is not alone in utilizing GlobalX for travel during the World Cup this summer; reports indicate that the England national team also had a contract with the airline, and Iran has similarly used their services. A spokesperson for the English Football Association, responsible for arranging the England team’s flight, declined to comment on the matter.
