Overview

• On July 16, French police officially launched an investigation into €180,300 paid in June 2023 to five officers who protected the national team.
• The finance ministry’s anti-money laundering wing reported the transactions as unusual on July 18, prompting deeper financial scrutiny.
• The public prosecutor’s office has now opened proceedings to determine if the payments were undeclared personal security fees or legitimate World Cup bonus donations.
• Investigators are examining whether the disbursements aligned with Mbappé’s pledge to gift his 2022 World Cup prize money to the Republican Security Corps.
• Mbappé has affirmed his readiness to cooperate fully with authorities and no formal charges have been filed so far.