🇸🇳SenegalWest Africa
Kylian Mbappé and Rayan Cherki object to Betclic's use of their image
via SeneNews2 min read
French international footballers Kylian Mbappé and Rayan Cherki are among several players who have expressed displeasure over the use of their images in a Betclic advertising campaign for sports betting. This incident has reignited the debate surrounding image rights for players within the French national team. Mbappé, supported by his teammates, has previously challenged the French Football Federation FFF on the exploitation of collective player images by commercial partners, leading the FFF to revise its image rights agreement in 2022. According to L'Equipe, the players, including Désiré Doué, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembélé, were reportedly unaware that a recent photoshoot organized by the FFF would be used by a sports betting company. Mbappé and Cherki, in particular, are said to be upset, stating they never wished for their images to be associated with sports betting promotions. The issue has reached FFF leadership and is expected to be addressed after the upcoming World Cup. L'Equipe also notes that Betclic acted within its rights, suggesting the problem lies with the agreement between the FFF and the betting company. This new controversy adds to recent issues between the FFF and its partners regarding World Cup bonuses and player ticket allocations.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
Must ReadOusmane Sonko was unanimously elected president of the Pastef-Les Patriotes party at its first ordinary congress. The election saw significant mobilization from members in Senegal and the diaspora. Official results show 589 out of 598 expected minutes were validated. Domestically, all 553 minutes were received, while 36 out of 45 expected minutes were submitted from the diaspora. Organizers reported a 98.5% participation rate, with no blank ballots. This congress, the first in the party's history, is a key step in its structuring and aims to define its political direction for the coming years. As the sole candidate deemed eligible by the party's High Regulatory Authority, Sonko strengthens his leadership within Pastef as the party seeks to enhance its internal organization and advance its vision for Senegal's transformation.
Must ReadThe Iranian national football team will be required to enter and exit the United States on the same day as their matches during the 2026 World Cup due to visa restrictions. The Iranian Ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, highlighted this challenging situation, stating that the team must enter in the morning and depart on the same day. This complicates the organization of their participation in the tournament. Ambassador Pasandideh made these remarks to journalists before the team's arrival at their base camp in Tijuana, northern Mexico.
Abdoulaye Saydou Sow, Secretary General of the Senegalese Football Federation FSF, provided an update on the Lions' preparation for the 2026 World Cup while in the United States. He has been with the team for a week, accompanying Pape Thiaw's squad during their training camp. Following a friendly match loss to the United States on May 31 in Charlotte, Senegal is set to play its second and final pre-World Cup test against Saudi Arabia on June 9 in San Antonio. Sow also discussed the team's travel to Texas, noting that the President of the Republic arranged a plane for the Lions' journey to San Antonio on Sunday. This marks the beginning of the second phase of preparation from June 7 to June 11. After the match against Saudi Arabia, an opponent similar to Iraq, Senegal's World Cup adversary, the team will move to a hotel they selected. Sow praised the organization and logistics of the World Cup preparation, stating it has been "really perfect," and extended thanks to the FSF President and the President of the Republic.
The Iranian national football team departed for Mexico on Saturday, where their World Cup base camp is located. This follows a 15-day training camp in Antalya, Turkey. The team is scheduled to arrive in Tijuana, their base for the tournament, after securing visas for the United States, where their first match is set for June 15. However, Iran has reported "discriminatory treatment" due to the US denying visas to several members of its management and technical staff. The Iranian Embassy in Turkey criticized these denials on X, calling them the "highest level of intentional discriminatory treatment." This statement was a response to an earlier announcement by US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, who stated that the Iranian team had received their visas. A US administration official confirmed on Saturday that the necessary visas for Iran's participation, including for athletes and essential support staff, had been issued. The official added that the US would not allow the Iranian team to "abuse this system to smuggle terrorists into the United States under false pretenses," without providing further details. According to Iranian state television, 15 administrative and management staff members, including federation president Mehdi Taj, are affected by the visa denials. Amir Mahdi Alavi, spokesperson for the Iranian Football Federation, questioned who would attend pre-match coordination meetings if the team's manager and press officer were absent, stating that a letter had been s