Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe has stated that he was acting with the assistance of his France team-mates after prevailing in an image rights dispute with the French Football Federation (FFF).
Mbappe had been involved in a disagreement with the FFF since March, after he refused to show up to a photo shoot organised for the French men’s team.
The striker desired greater control of his image rights to avoid being associated with certain brands, and pledged to continue his refusal to engage in sponsorship activities after meeting up with Les Bleus for their Nations League fixtures this month.
After a meeting of FFF officials, the governing body said it would “work on the outlines of a new agreement” concerning players’ image rights on Tuesday.
Speaking after opening the scoring in a 2-0 win over Austria on Thursday, Mbappe insisted he was not alone in the dispute.
“The squad has always been behind me, maybe you didn’t know it,” he said.
“From the start, it was a team initiative, it’s just that I have no issue with going into the spotlight to fight for my team-mates.
“It doesn’t matter if I get criticised, it won’t change the way I play or live my life. If it can allow the squad to get what it wants, that’s the main thing.”
France will conclude their Nations League group campaign with a trip to Denmark on Sunday, having overtaken Austria in the Group A1 standings following the win over Austria.
𝐵𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑢𝑟𝑠 𝑑𝑢 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑟 🇫🇷#FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/tHHJjg1spe
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) September 22, 2022
Source: Live score