Pascal Dupraz slams Benjamin Mendy’s Global Football Auction Part sale

On 25 July, former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy sold his replica of the 2018 World Cup, prompting former coach Pascal Dupraz to voice disbelief at the transaction. The sale took place within the Global Football Auction Part 2 and fetched a price of $62,220.

The auction, billed as Global Football Auction Part 2, featured the trophy replica as a headline item and attracted a buyer willing to pay the six‑figure sum. Mendy’s former club, Manchester City, is mentioned only to highlight his past elite status before the sale.

Pascal Dupraz, who once managed Evian Thonon Gaillard, could not understand how the French international could part with such a symbol. On RMC, he remarked, “Tu vends ton trophée, c’est comme si tu vendais ton âme au diable,” suggesting financial hardship as the only plausible motive.

Dupraz continued his criticism, calling the transaction an “immense gâchis.” He questioned, “Il fait bien ce qu’il veut. Mais t’as gagné la Coupe du monde, t’as une réplique et tu la vends ?” and noted that only 46 French players have ever lifted the Coupe du monde across two tournaments, underscoring the rarity of the prize.

Mendy, for his part, chose to laugh off the controversy, treating the sale as a light‑hearted anecdote rather than a scandal. He has since moved to Polish side Pogon Szczecin on a one‑year deal with an option, after his contract with FC Zurich was terminated.

The defender’s career trajectory shifted dramatically following his legal battles. In the summer of 2023, a British court found him not guilty of rape and attempted rape, and six months earlier he had been acquitted of six additional rape accusations and one sexual‑assault charge.

These contrasting reactions—Dupraz’s moral condemnation and Mendy’s casual dismissal—highlight the divergent perspectives surrounding the sale of a World Cup replica, a trophy few French players have ever owned.