How Mbappe Takes Trophy Photos: "I Cover Alcohol Ads in the Background"

Photo Taken with Trophy 'Budweiser' Letters Hidden
Refusal of Alcohol, Sports Betting, and Junk Food Ads for Child Fans

Kylian Mbapp? turning the trophy to hide the 'Budweiser' text at the bottom. Photo by Budweiser Official Twitter Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] French forward Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), who participated in the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup, has attracted attention by deliberately hiding the logo of a beer company engraved on the trophy.

On the 5th (Korean time), Mbappe was selected as the 'Player of the Match' (POTM) in the round of 16 match against Poland held at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, and received a trophy engraved with the sponsor's name. Mbappe led his team to a 3-1 victory by scoring 2 goals and providing 1 assist.

At that time, Mbappe turned the POTM trophy given by Budweiser, the American alcoholic beverage company sponsoring the tournament, so that the 'Budweiser' letters at the bottom were hidden and posed for photos.

Mbappe is known to refuse advertisements for alcohol, junk food, and other products, thinking of children who look up to him as a role model. He did the same during the Denmark match on the 27th of last month, where he scored 2 goals and was selected as MVP. French sports media L'Equipe reported, "Mbappe has set a policy not to advertise alcohol, sports betting, and junk food."

Also, after the match that day, Mbappe did not attend the official press conference. The British Daily Mail analyzed, "It seems Mbappe skipped the conference to avoid questions about his future at his club Paris Saint-Germain." The French Football Federation has a policy to pay all fines imposed on players who refuse to participate in interviews after being selected as POTM.

Meanwhile, Budweiser, the main sponsor of the World Cup, which has already suffered financial losses in Qatar where the sale of alcoholic beverages in public places is illegal, is in an awkward position due to Mbappe's actions. It is reported that Budweiser is demanding about $47 million (approximately 60.8 billion KRW) from FIFA following the decision to ban beer sales inside the stadium.