French financial authorities are investigating payments totalling €180,300 made by Kylian Mbappe to Mohamed “Momo” Sanhadji, the former head of security for France, amid allegations of money laundering, tax evasion and undeclared work.
According to an investigation by French newspaper L’Equipe published on Thursday, Mbappe, through his mother and agent Fayza Lamari, lent Sanhadji €120,000 towards the purchase of a house. That was separate from €60,300 the Real Madrid forward had given him after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The earlier payment came in June 2023, when Mbappe distributed his World Cup bonus among members of the security team responsible for protecting France’s players. Four officers received cheques worth €30,000 each, while Sanhadji was given €60,300.
People close to Mbappe said the payments were intended as recognition for the officers’ services and were not made in return for anything. The player has not been accused of wrongdoing.
France’s financial intelligence unit, Tracfin, which operates under the Ministry of Economy, detected the transactions in summer 2024. A preliminary investigation was then opened into whether the payments were genuine gifts or disguised wages for private security services.
The authorities also examined Sanhadji’s private travel with Mbappe outside his official duties, including a flight to Cameroon in July 2023, days after he received the €60,300 payment.
Sanhadji’s influence within France set-up
Sanhadji joined the police in 2004 and became France’s security chief, a role he held for more than two decades. Known as “Momo”, he developed close relationships with several players and became a central figure within the squad.
L’Equipe reported that France players wanted him to accompany them to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, while Zinedine Zidane had also wanted him to remain part of his new staff at the French Football Federation.
However, the investigation found that Sanhadji had sought financial help from about 15 current and former players. He reportedly received loans totalling €215,000, including €20,000 from each of Raphael Varane, Sabri Lamouchi and Laurent Blanc, €15,000 from Yann M’Vila and €7,500 from Matteo Guendouzi.
Mbappe’s payments accounted for more than half of that total. L’Equipe said Sanhadji received more than €300,000 from players and people close to the France team between 2020 and 2024, excluding holidays and benefits in kind.
In messages seen by the newspaper and sent to Guendouzi on 25 October 2024, Sanhadji wrote: “If this comes to light, it will be the end of me.”
He was told of his early retirement by the national police directorate on 19 December 2025, following an inspection investigation which criticised him for failing to report the cheque from Mbappe.
Despite that, the French Football Federation employed him directly until July 2026 and he travelled with France to the World Cup. On 2 June, during President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Clairefontaine, Mbappe personally called Sanhadji and asked him to join the team’s group photograph with the president.
Sanhadji was formally charged on 16 September with receiving misappropriated public funds, active and passive corruption, influence peddling, fraud and money laundering linked to tax evasion. He remains presumed innocent.
He has been placed under strict judicial supervision, barred from contacting current or former players, coaches or French Football Federation officials. He may not enter Clairefontaine, Stade de France or Parc des Princes without a judge’s authorisation, cannot undertake professional sporting activity and must pay €80,000 bail. The French Football Federation has joined the case as a civil party.
