Kylian Mbappé Calls Voters To Oppose Extremism In French Elections

Kylian Mbappé urged the French public to vote against “extremes” on Sunday, backing up the comments made by his teammate Marcus Thuram the previous day.

France striker, Marcus Thuram, on Saturday expressed his concern about the rise of the Rassemblement National, the country’s right-wing populist party, before the country’s general election at the end of June.

“I share the same values as Marcus,” Mbappé, France’s captain, said in a news conference. “Of course I support him. For me, he hasn’t gone too far. It’s freedom of speech, and I’m on his side.”

“We [the France team] are citizens, we cannot be disconnected from the world around us. We know that we are in an important situation for our country, an unprecedented situation. I want to address the French people. The extremes are at the gates of power, we have the opportunity to choose the future of our country.”

“I call on all young people to go and vote, to understand the gravity of the situation. I hope that my voice resonates as far as possible. I hope we will still be proud to wear this jersey on July 7.”

July 7 marks the date for the second and final round of the legislative elections, which were unexpectedly called by French President Emmanuel Macron following the European Union elections.

The Rassemblement National received 31.4% of the country’s votes last weekend, prompting concern.

Asked directly whether he was calling on the French public to vote against the Rassemblement National, Mbappé added: “Kylian Mbappé is against the extremes, the groups that divide us. We have the opportunity to choose the future of our country. We must not hide … I am in favor of ideas that unite us.”

France coach, Didier Deschamps, said he had no issue with his players discussing politics and respects their right to free speech.

“Everyone has their own opinion. … They are footballers but they are also citizens who don’t exist outside the situation which exists in France,” Deschamps said.

Deschamps’ remarks mirror the statement released by the French Football Federation (FFF) on Saturday following Thuram’s news conference.

The FFF statement emphasized that players are entitled to share their viewpoints but highlighted the federation’s obligation to remain impartial. It also urged the media to avoid questioning its players abroad about domestic elections.

The FFF President Philippe Diallo had conversations with Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann on Saturday, without the team being informed about the statement being circulated. The squad is keen to adopt a stance and is contemplating issuing a collective statement.

France faces Austria in their opening fixture of Euro 2024 on Monday.