With a two-zero victory over Morocco on July 9 propelling the French football team to the World Cup semifinals, the world’s eyes are currently on the national team with star players such as Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé. But as uncovered by reporters Sophie Sullivan and Pablo Iglesias Maurer for a piece in The Guardian, the national team used a charter company that runs deportation flights for the Trump administration for at least three domestic flights between games and their base camp in Boston.The company, Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX), is the primary charter airline used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to fulfill Trump’s aggressive anti-immigration agenda by deporting tens of thousands of migrants from the United States. The charter company was also used to run deportation flights under previous administrations but, since 2025, skyrocketed the number of such flights carrying both adults and at least 1,000 children under contract from the U.S. government and to the infamous Cecot prison in El Salvador among other destinations.Équipe France among other sports teams to use airline that runs ICE deportation flightsPhotos of the national team disembarking on the way to training that Équipe France posted on social media channels like TikTok show the GlobalX name on the aircraft.Neither Équipe France nor GlobalX responded to reports that the company was used to transport the French national team but the Miami-based airline is frequently used by both professional and college sports teams to move athletes between games and training.Similar reports found that the airline was used to transport Columbia University’s women’s basketball team to March Madness competitions in 2025. Teams like Inter Miami CF and the English men’s national team have also used Global X at various moments over the years.Related: A new travel advisory targets World Cup travelThe Global X website names “the U.S. government, sports teams, casinos, and various tour operators and airlines” as its clients.”It’s common for certain carriers to oscillate between operating ICE flights and other private entity charter flights, including athletic teams, within a week or even on the same day,” Sierra Randolph, a data manager for the ICE Flight Monitor tracker of U.S. deportations, told The Guardian.
GlobalX Airlines is one of the main charter airlines running deportation flights for ICE.Image source: GlobalX Air
Why so many sports teams use an airline running deportation flights for ICEThe report that the French national team used GlobalX caused significant consternation on social media channels from those that feel that the team should not be using a company that helps facilitate Trump’s far-right an anti-immigration agenda for its travel.Multiple players on the French national team, including star forward Kylian Mbappé, have been outspoken advocates against far-right politics and anti-immigrant rhetoric around the world.More Travel News:Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in the BahamasUnexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka”I know what it means and what consequences it can have for my country when people like them come to power,” Mbappé said of French far-right politician Marine Le Pen and her National Rally party in a May 2026 interview for Vanity Fair. Both the most recent interview and Mbappé’s general activism have earned him both the respect of multiple fans and criticism of both domestic and international right-wing politicians with the often-lobbied accusation of focusing on politics instead of sports.Related: Another low-cost airline files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy