French Football Federation speaks out after Kylian Mbappe refused to appear in France team photo for 2022 World Cup over image rights row

The French Football Federation have released a statement confirming they will look into the situation surrounding players’ image rights after Kylian Mbappe refused to appear in France’s team photo for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The statement came after Kylian Mbappe had reportedly refused to take part in the France national team’s photoshoot on Tuesday over a long-running dispute with the French Football Federation (FFF) over image rights. 

Their statement read: ‘Following conclusive discussions with the French team’s executives, the president, the coach and a marketing manager, the FFF has undertaken to revise, as soon as possible, the agreement on image rights that binds it to its national team players.’

It continued: ‘The FFF is looking forward to working on the outlines of a new agreement that will enable it to protect its interests while taking into consideration the legitimate concerns and convictions unanimously expressed by the players.’

Mbappe led a boycott among the French team of certain sponsors back in March as he did not want to be associated with particular brands. He has now opted out of a scheduled photoshoot with the squad as he remains uncomfortable promoting certain sponsors including betting companies and fast food brands, as reported by Get French Football News.

The FFF struck an €8m (£7m) deal with online sports betting company Betclic last year, with that contract running through until the 2026 World Cup.

The federation also have ties with KFC, Uber Eats and Coca-Cola, which may be a concern for Mbappe.

All of the money that Mbappe earns from France sponsorships goes to charity, but the forward is believed to have stepped away from the photoshoot due to the moral and ethical issues that arise out of representing certain sponsors.

Mbappe’s grievances are understandable given his previous issues with betting companies in the past.