The French men’s national soccer team, led by star player Kylian Mbappé, known for his vocal opposition to far-right politics, has been utilizing a charter airline linked to the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.
Social media posts and flight tracking data indicate that the team has employed Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) for at least three domestic flights connecting their World Cup matches with their base camp in Boston. This airline has been responsible for over half of ICE’s deportation flights in 2024 and 2025.
A 2025 investigation revealed the significant role GlobalX played in transporting thousands of detainees, both domestically and internationally, often without prior notice. This practice, which has been criticized for violating constitutional due process rights, has included flights to locations such as El Salvador’s Cecot prison, where detainees reported being uninformed about their destinations and experiencing physical restraints.
Despite multiple inquiries, GlobalX has not provided any comments, nor have representatives from the French national team responded to requests for statements.
The aircraft used by the French team after their match against Paraguay has conducted 44 deportation-related flights this year and approximately 950 since 2022. Records indicate that the plane, which transported the team on July 4, was recently involved in transferring detained immigrants from an Arizona facility to Louisiana on July 1, as reported by ICE Flight Monitor, which tracks and documents ICE flights.
Sierra Randolph, a data manager at ICE Flight Monitor, commented, “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 investigation began after a video shared on the team’s official Instagram account showed players, including Michael Olise of Bayern Munich, boarding a flight from Philadelphia to Boston following France’s narrow victory over Paraguay. The GlobalX logo was visible on a sticker Olise handed to a flight attendant.
Data from the flight tracking website Flightradar24 confirmed that an Airbus departed Philadelphia International Airport shortly after midnight on July 5 and arrived at Boston Logan International Airport around 1 am. Researchers from ICE Flight Monitor corroborated the flight’s connection to an aircraft frequently monitored for immigration enforcement activities.
The French roster includes several players who are outspoken about their political beliefs, with Mbappé being the most prominent. The captain, whose heritage stems from both Cameroon and Algeria, has consistently criticized the rise of far-right politics in France. In 2024, he labeled the advancements made by the National Rally party as “falling into the hands of these people” urging the youth to resist allowing the country to “fall into the hands of these people.”
Other team members, such as forwards Ousmane Dembélé and Marcus Thuram, along with defender Jules Koundé, have echoed similar sentiments, encouraging voter participation among French citizens. Thuram, the son of World Cup champion Lilian Thuram, has a rich history of activism, while even football legend Zinedine Zidane has spoken against the National Rally’s Marine Le Pen.
This week, Mbappé gained attention again following a confrontation with a Paraguayan senator, whom he labeled a “despicable woman” after she made a racist remark about him.
The National Rally has responded to the criticisms from the French team with mockery, adopting a dismissive “shut up and dribble” attitude that has become a common refrain in professional sports. Like many national squads, the French team embodies a multicultural identity, reflecting the diversity of the nation.
France is not alone in using GlobalX for World Cup travel this summer. The Daily Mail reported that England’s national team also had a contract with GlobalX, and Iran had similarly chartered the airline. The English Football Association declined to comment on the specifics of their flight arrangements.
