France Team Used GlobalX for 3 World Cup Flights as Carrier Ran Half of ICE Removals
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 9
France Team Used GlobalX for 3 World Cup Flights as Carrier Ran Half of ICE Removals
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 9
Summary
Flight-tracking data and team social media show France’s men’s squad used GlobalX for at least three domestic World Cup trips between matches and its Boston base camp.
GlobalX is a central contractor in Trump’s deportation drive, operating more than half of ICE removal flights in 2024 and 2025 and moving detainees domestically and abroad, including to El Salvador’s Cecot prison.
One aircraft used by France after its 1-0 win over Paraguay had flown 44 deportation-related missions this year and about 950 since 2022; the jet used on July 4 had transferred detainees from Arizona to Louisiana on July 1.
The link is politically sensitive because captain Kylian Mbappé and several teammates have repeatedly denounced France’s far right and anti-immigration politics, while neither GlobalX nor team representatives commented.
England and Iran have also used GlobalX during the World Cup, underscoring how charter aircraft can rotate between sports travel and immigration-enforcement flights within days.
When a plane carries soccer stars and deportees, where does corporate responsibility end?
As athletes become global brands, must they audit the ethics of their team's business partners?
France’s World Cup Team Flies with GlobalX, Airline Behind 50% of ICE Deportations: A Deep Dive into Sports, Ethics, and Human Rights
Overview
The French men’s national soccer team sparked controversy by using Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) for charter flights during the 2026 World Cup in the United States. GlobalX is a major operator for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation flights, handling over half of ICE’s removal flights in 2024 and 2025. The same aircraft that transported the French team was used just days earlier to move detained immigrants between states. This overlap between luxury sports travel and deportation operations has raised ethical concerns, highlighting the direct connection between high-profile sports teams and immigration enforcement activities.