French football security chief Mohamed Sanhadji indicted over 60,300-euro Mbappé gift
Mohamed Sanhadji faces corruption charges and an 80,000-euro bail bond in Paris after receiving undeclared funds from Kylian Mbappé's World Cup bonuses.
Indictment and judicial supervision terms
Mohamed Sanhadji, the logistics and security manager for the French men's national football team, was placed under formal investigation on Wednesday in Paris for corruption involving a person holding public authority. The Paris prosecutor's office announced the indictment on Friday following Sanhadji's period in police custody. The judicial inquiry focuses on a financial transfer of 60,300 euros that Sanhadji received in June 2023 from French national team forward Kylian Mbappé.
As part of the judicial supervision ordered by the magistrate, Sanhadji must pay an 80,000-euro bail bond. The court order imposes strict limitations on his professional activities, prohibiting him from performing national police duties and barring him from the professional sports sector. This restriction covers any paid work with French or foreign football clubs, the French Football Federation (FFF), and international sports governing bodies.
Broad contact and venue prohibitions
The judicial control measures explicitly prevent Sanhadji from maintaining contact with several groups tied to French football and state security. He is forbidden from speaking with past and present players of the French national teams, the current technical staff, former and current national team managers, and past or present presidents and employees of the FFF. The restriction extends to directors and deputy directors of the DCCRS (Direction centrale des compagnies républicaines de sécurité) who held office from 2011 onward.
Sanhadji is also prohibited from entering key French football venues without express judicial authorization. The restricted locations include the FFF headquarters in Paris, the national football training center at Clairefontaine, the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, and the Parc des Princes.
- Sanhadji begins managing security for the French national football team as a police officer
- Mbappé provides a 60,300-euro check from his 2022 World Cup bonuses to Sanhadji
- Sanhadji takes early retirement from the police and is hired directly by the FFF
- Paris prosecutor confirms Sanhadji's indictment for corruption of a public official
Origins of the World Cup bonus payment
Sanhadji worked as a police officer assigned to oversee security for the French national squad from 2004 until December 2025. The financial transaction occurred in June 2023, following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Mbappé issued a check for 60,300 euros from his tournament bonuses to Sanhadji. The transaction was flagged by a banker as a customary gift, but Sanhadji had not informed his police hierarchy about the funds.
Internal police sanctions followed the failure to declare the funds, leading Sanhadji to take early retirement from the national police in December 2025. Despite the disciplinary sanctions, Sanhadji remained well regarded among national team players and within the federation. The FFF recruited him directly as a civilian staff member to manage logistics and security for the squad heading toward the 2026 World Cup.
Repercussions for Zinédine Zidane's staff
The legal proceedings create an immediate operational challenge for the French Football Federation and newly appointed national team manager Zinédine Zidane. Sanhadji had served alongside the squad for over two decades, establishing close ties with generations of players and administrators before his formal integration into Zidane's staff. With the court barring Sanhadji from Clairefontaine, match venues, and all sporting activities, the FFF must reorganize its security operations as the judicial probe moves forward.
