French Soccer Team’s World Cup Travel Linked to ICE Deportation Flights via Charter Airline

The French men’s national soccer team, which counts Kylian Mbappé among its most vocal opponents of far-right politics, has been using a charter airline intricately connected to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations.

flight-tracking data and social media posts confirm that France utilized Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) for multiple domestic World Cup journeys between matches and their Boston base camp. This same charter company operates over half of all ICE removal flights in 2024 and 2025.

A Guardian investigation earlier this year, based on leaked GlobalX data covering five months of operations, revealed the airline’s central role in transporting thousands of immigration detaines across domestic and international borders without notification, often to destinations far from families, communities, and legal representation—actions experts say violate constitutional due process rights. The carrier has transported detainees to facilities including El Salvador’s notorious Cecut prison, with passengers reporting being kept uninformed about flight destinations and restrained during travel.

GlobalX did not respond to requests for comment, and French team representatives declined to comment. The aircraft carrying France following their July 4 match against Paraguay had completed 44 deportation-related flights that year and approximately 950 since 2022. Ice Flight Monitor data shows the same aircraft transferred detainees from Arizona to Louisiana just one day prior to the team’s flight.

“It’s common for carriers to alternate between ICE operations and other charter work, sometimes even on the same day,” noted Sierra Randolph, data manager with Ice Flight Monitor.

The Guardian’s inquiry followed team social media posts showing players like Michael Olise boarding their Philadelphia-to-Boston flight after defeating Paraguay 1-0. Analysis of flight data on Flightradar24 confirmed an Airbus departing Philadelphia around midnight and arriving in Boston at 1am, later verified by Ice Flight Monitor as the same aircraft used for immigration enforcement flights.

This connection emerges despite France’s players prominently voicing political views. Mbappé, whose father immigrated from Cameroon and mother is of Algerian descent, has repeatedly condemned far-right politicians and supported teammates in similar advocacy. In 2024, he called far-right National Rally party gains “catastrophic,” urging citizens to prevent the nation from “falling into the hands of these people.”

Teammates including Ousmane Dembélé, Jules Koundé, and Marcus Thuram have echoed these sentiments, continuing activism spanning generations—Thuram’s father, World Cup winner Lilian Thuram, maintains extensive advocacy work. Even legend Zinedine Zidane has opposed National Rally candidate Marine Le Pen.

National Rally members have responded mockingly to athlete criticism, embracing a “shut up and dribble” approach common in sports. Like many national squads, France’s multicultural team reflects the nation’s demographic diversity.

France joins England and Iran as World Cup nations reportedly contracting with GlobalX this summer, according to Daily Mail reporting. The English Football Association did not comment when approached by the publication.

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