The French men's national soccer team, featuring outspoken anti-far-right star Kylian Mbappé, has been using a charter airline company deeply involved in the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign for their domestic World Cup travel. Images on social media and flight tracking data reveal that the team has used Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) for at least three flights between games and their base camp in Boston. This same company has operated more than half of ICE's removal flights in 2024 and 2025.
GlobalX's Role in Deportation Flights
A 2025 Guardian investigation into the Trump administration's deportation program, analyzing five months of leaked GlobalX data, showed the company moved thousands of detainees domestically and internationally without notice, often far from families and legal counsel, leading to alleged constitutional due process violations. The company has flown detainees to El Salvador's Cecot mega-prison. Many detainees reported being shackled and kept unaware of their destination.
The specific plane used by the French team after their match against Paraguay flew 44 deportation-related flights in 2025 alone and approximately 950 flights since 2022. On 4 July, the aircraft carried the French team; days earlier, on 1 July, it transferred detained immigrants from an Arizona detention center to Louisiana, according to data from ICE Flight Monitor, a group tracking ICE flights using public aviation data.
Players' Political Stance Contrasts with Travel Choice
Mbappé, whose father is Cameroonian and mother of Algerian descent, has repeatedly spoken out against France's far-right National Rally party, calling their gains in 2024 'catastrophic' and urging young people to prevent the country from 'falling into the hands of these people.' Teammates Ousmane Dembélé, Jules Koundé, and Marcus Thuram have echoed his sentiments. Thuram's father, World Cup winner Lilian Thuram, is a longtime activist. Even Zinedine Zidane spoke out against Marine Le Pen in 2017.
Mbappé recently made headlines for calling a Paraguayan senator a 'despicable woman' after a racist attack. National Rally members have responded with a 'shut up and dribble' attitude, common in professional sports. The French team, like many national teams, is multicultural and reflects France's diversity.
Other Teams Using GlobalX
France is not alone in using GlobalX for World Cup travel. The Daily Mail reported that England's national squad also had a contract with GlobalX, and Iran used the airline. A spokesman for the English Football Association declined to comment.
