This Friday morning, Philippe Diallo sent a few messages to the microphone of France-Info. The president of the French Football Federation notably mentioned the objectives set for the Tricolores during the 2026 World Cup. “France is today ranked number 1 in the FIFA rankings, that is to say the first team in the world. So we can’t hide, the France team has a lot of qualities, a lot of talent, a coach who has a lot of experience. So obviously, we are going there to achieve an important result. It’s still football, so you need a form of humility because in a tournament which will last until July 19, a lot can happen.”
The boss of the FFF took advantage of the microphones to discuss the project of broadcasting Blues matches for free in cinemas. A project that is difficult to achieve, but which seems close to his heart. “Football and the World Cup must remain popular and therefore accessible to everyone. So we will do everything we can to ensure that this World Cup also takes place in France, for those who will not go to the United States. The FFF will take a certain number of initiatives. Among the other initiatives of the FFF, there is one which directly concerns Didier Deschamps’ players. This afternoon, The Team reveals that the governing body of French football wants to lower the bonuses of the Blues.
The bounties of discord?
A decision which comes just a few days before the Blues’ departure for Boston, where their base camp is located. Thus, the sports daily explains that Philippe Diallo met with the Tricolores at the beginning of spring in order to explain his plan to them. He clarified that the bonus awarded by FIFA was lower than expected and that the conversion from dollar to euro was not favorable to them. Finally, the last argument put forward concerns the exorbitant price of expenses linked to this tournament in the United States, as well as in Canada and Mexico. For all these reasons, Philippe Diallo therefore asked Kylian MbappĂ© and his teammates to make a financial effort and reduce the amount of bonuses which should be allocated to them.
We are talking about an amount slightly above €20,000 per player. But the Blues did not completely understand this request. Although they are aware that the FFF is going through a less good financial situation, they did not understand why to make this request knowing that the federation has signed a contract of €100 million per year with the jersey sponsor Nike. In addition, some were surprised and believe that this request lacks consistency since their bonuses were increased barely 4 months ago by Diallo and the FFF after having composted their ticket for the 2026 World Cup. Our colleagues explain this about-face by “a desire to make savings on all national selections in a quest for budget balance”. The FFF and the Blues have not yet reached an agreement on the subject. To be continued…
