France is once again embroiled in internal conflict ahead of the World Cup.

According to L'Équipe, tension arose during a meeting between French national team players and the President of the French Football Federation (FFF), Philippe Diallo, on June 2nd, when the issue of allocating tickets for the 2026 World Cup was discussed.

According to the FFF announcement, players will be given two free tickets per match and can purchase up to six additional tickets, bringing the total to eight tickets per person. However, many players believe this number does not meet their actual needs. Stars like Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Rayan Cherki are expected to have a large number of family and friends traveling to the US to support them.

In addition, the fact that the 2026 World Cup will be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico will increase travel and accommodation costs, further increasing the players' desire for more support from the FFF.

According to French media, several players directly expressed their dissatisfaction with the league's ticket allocation plan, and the exchange was described as quite tense.

Notably, the meeting took place on the same day the French team took a group photo at the Clairefontaine training center with President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron. While the team maintained a united image in public, behind the scenes, tensions arose regarding the players' rights.

The issue of tickets isn't the only sticking point between the players and the FFF. In March, the federation also proposed adjusting the prize money structure for the 2026 World Cup to address the rising organizational and logistical costs in North America. However, negotiations regarding prize money are reportedly progressing more smoothly, and the gap between the two sides is gradually narrowing.

The FFF believes that budget control is necessary as the 2026 World Cup will be the largest tournament in history, with 48 participating teams and an unprecedented geographical scope. Teams must prepare significant funds for travel, accommodation, and organization.

Now, the FFF will have to worry about easing tensions and avoiding a repeat of the scandal from the 2010 World Cup, although the story is different.

At the 2026 World Cup, the French national team will be based at Bentley University (Massachusetts) and will use Boston as their base during the tournament. Before traveling to the US on June 9th, coach Didier Deschamps' team will play two friendly matches against Ivory Coast (June 4th) and Northern Ireland (June 8th).

In the group stage, the French team was placed in Group I along with Senegal, Iraq, and Norway.

The team will face Senegal in New Jersey on June 16, Iraq in Philadelphia, and Norway in Foxborough.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/phap-lai-luc-duc-truc-them-world-cup-196260604101804336.htm