PSG star Kylian Mbappe is being accused of having gambling double standards after the striker had been clear on his stance against fast-food chains and gambling companies.
Mbappe was threatened with legal action from KFC France after the striker refused to be associated with the fast-food franchise, in keeping with his aforementioned anti-gambling and anti-unhealthy food stance.
However, the World Cup winner is now being accused of having double standards after agreeing to become ambassador of Sorare, a contentious non-fungible token (NFT) company.
The Athletic revealed that the NFT company comprises a private “quantitative hedge fund” which is operated by a small group of football players that receive millions in rewards from the policy.
Sorare itself has been classified as a gambling website in Switzerland and is also the focus of an investigation by the UK Gambling Commission. However, the company is standing firm in its belief that they are not a gambling franchise, and the main purpose is to provide a platform to acquire collectables.
Additionally, the former Monaco star is the face of the Qatari project at PSG, a venture that has often been labelled as “sportswashing”, which is to devalue human-right issues by portraying a state project through the attraction, and subsequently distraction, of football or other sports.
At this moment Mbappe is yet to distance himself from the companies that have led to the double standard accusations. The PSG superstar was absent for the French National team photoshoot due to KFC France, Betclic and Coco-Cola all sponsoring the side, and Mbappe wanted to maintain his image against gambling and fast-foods.