The ongoing dispute between France and the French Football Federation (FFF) over player bonuses and the allocation of tickets for family members has ended before the start of the World Cup mission. Led by captain Kylian Mbappe, the players have finally reached a settlement with the federation on the matter.
From the start of preparations for the ongoing World Cup in North America, there had been a difference of opinion between the two sides over performance bonuses and the ticket allocation per player. When the first round of talks produced no solution, a counter-proposal was put to FFF president Philippe Diallo on behalf of the France squad through Mbappe and three other players.
The French daily L’Equipe reported that Diallo accepted that proposal on player bonuses. The specific bonus figure was not disclosed, though it is believed to be lower than at the last World Cup. After finishing runners-up at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, each France player received a bonus of 500,000 euros. Before that, after winning the 2018 Russia World Cup, the FFF awarded each player 400,000 euros.
L’Equipe also reported that many of the experienced players in the 26-man squad often donate all or part of the bonuses they receive to various charities or to members of the coaching staff.
The issue of ticket allocation has also been resolved. To cut costs at the outset, the federation had announced that each player would receive two free tickets per match for family members. Alongside this, there would be an option to buy six more tickets at set prices. In the group stage, these tickets were priced from 500 euros, rising to more than 7,000 euros for the final.
The players were unhappy with the federation’s proposal. After talks, president Diallo agreed to allocate four free tickets per player. The option to buy additional tickets remains. This benefit is, however, somewhat smaller than at the 2022 World Cup. France will begin their World Cup campaign with a match against Senegal at the New Jersey stadium on June 17. Their other two opponents in Group I are Norway and Iraq.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report