The French men’s national team has travelled between World Cup matches on aircraft operated by an airline that conducts mass deportation flights for United States immigration authorities. Flight tracking data reveals Les Bleus used Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) for at least three domestic journeys during the tournament, including a trip from Philadelphia to Boston following their 1-0 victory over Paraguay.
The arrangement creates an uncomfortable juxtaposition with the squad’s vocal opposition to far-right and anti-immigration politics. The Airbus carrying the French delegation departed Philadelphia shortly after midnight on 5 July and arrived at Boston Logan International Airport around 1am local time. According to data from ICE Flight Monitor, that same aircraft had transferred detained immigrants from an Arizona detention centre to Louisiana on 1 July, and has completed 44 deportation-related flights in 2025 alone.
Contradiction with Player Advocacy
The travel choices sit awkwardly alongside the political activism of captain Kylian Mbappé, who has repeatedly criticised France’s far-right National Rally party. In 2024, he described the party’s electoral gains as “catastrophic” and urged young people to prevent the country from “falling into the hands of these people”. Several teammates have echoed these sentiments, with Ousmane Dembélé, Jules Koundé and Marcus Thuram all making public efforts to drive voters to the polls against anti-immigration platforms.
Mbappé, whose father is Cameroonian and mother is of Algerian descent, this week hit back at a Paraguayan senator who launched a racist attack on him, describing her as a “despicable woman”. Members of the National Rally have previously responded mockingly to such criticisms from national team players, adopting a “shut up and dribble” attitude.
Airline’s Deportation Role
GlobalX has operated more than half of all removal flights for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during 2024 and 2025. A Guardian investigation earlier this year examined five months of leaked GlobalX data, revealing the airline moved thousands of detainees to destinations including El Salvador’s maximum-security Cecot prison, often without notice and far from their families and legal counsel.
Sierra Randolph, a data manager for ICE Flight Monitor, noted that carriers frequently alternate between immigration enforcement flights and private charter work. “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,” she said.
Other National Teams
France is not the only country whose squad has used GlobalX during the tournament. England and Iran have also contracted the airline for World Cup transportation, according to reports. The aircraft used by the French team has operated approximately 950 flights since 2022.
Neither representatives for the French national team nor GlobalX responded to requests for comment regarding the travel arrangements.