Kylian Mbappe: Fresh Jitters As France Star ‘Refuses’ to Promote Alcohol

Kylian Mbappe: Fresh Jitters As France Star ‘Refuses’ to Promote Alcohol

Martin Moses
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:19 PM
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  • New photo evidence has suggested that Kylian Mbappe has declined to promote Budweiser
  • The American alcohol brand is one of the major sponsors of the 2022 FIFA World Cup
  • The French striker has courted controversy off the pitch several times this tournament

Kylian Mbappe has managed to keep his name in the headlines for a variety of reasons in the time he has been a professional footballer.

From constantly breaking records to uncertainty over his future, the Paris Saint-Germain star has always provided fodder for tabloids and pundits.

A fresh storm could now be brewing over his image rights in Qatar.

Kylian Mbappe, World Cup, Budweiser
Kylian Mbappe poses with the Budweiser Player of the Match Trophy following the match between France and Australia at the Al Janoub Stadium on November 22, 2022. Photo by Mark Metcalfe.
Source: Getty Images

It is now claimed that Mbappe has deliberately refused to promote Budweiser, a major sponsor of the FIFA World Cup.

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According to Daily Mail, photo evidence shows that every time he gets a man of the match award, he conceals the initials of Budweiser as he doesn't want to promote an alcoholic brand.

Budweiser's role in Qatar

Budweiser is in charge of picking and awarding the man of the match after the games and so far, Mbappe has picked up three in Qatar.

He was voted the best player during France's group games against Australia and Denmark.

He then turned on in style against Poland, with two wonderfully taken goals in the round of 16 to claim his third individual gong. Mbappe is also leading the race for the Golden Boot with five goals so far.

Mbappe's image rights

It comes at a time when Mbappe faces sanctions and fines from FIFA for refusing to attend post-match interviews. It is believed he is skipping the interviews to avoid questions about his club future, Sports Brief has reported.

Whether he is deliberately hiding Budweiser's name or not, Goal reported that Mbappe got into a feud with the French Football Association over his image rights.

It is also said that the 23-year-old doesn't want to be associated with an alcoholic brand, given his current societal standing due to his fame.

Ronaldo and Coca-Cola

It is unclear if Budweiser have actually lost any significant amount of money the way Coca-Cola did, following the Cristiano Ronaldo incident at the Euro 2020 Championships, as reported by the Athletic.

Budweiser's and FIFA's options remain unclear, as there are no stipulations to 'force' a player to promote a specific brand.

All eyes will be on the promising talent when he faces England on Saturday, December 10, as France continues with their pursuit to become the first country to win back-to-back world titles since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

Mbappe could face FIFA sanctions

Sports Brief had earlier reported that Mbappe could face FIFA sanctions despite his terrific start for France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The 23-year-old’s goal return inspired the Europeans to a Round of 16 berth as they finished as Group D winners, notwithstanding their 1-0 loss to Tunisia.

Mbappe could now be sanctioned by FIFA after refusing to speak to the media for the second game at the World Cup against Denmark.

Authors
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Martin Moses
Martin Moses is a sports journalist with over five years of experience in media. He graduated from Multimedia University of Kenya (Bachelor of Journalism, 2017-2021)