Kylian Mbappé, the captain of the French football team, has drawn sharp criticism from Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party after expressing concerns about its potential victory in next year's presidential election. The 27-year-old star, who grew up in Paris's northern suburbs with Algerian and Cameroonian heritage, told Vanity Fair: "I know what it means and what consequences it can have for my country when people like them come to power."
Bardella's Response
Jordan Bardella, the 30-year-old president of the RN, which is polling strongly ahead of the spring presidential race, quickly fired back at Mbappé. He took a swipe at the footballer, who left Paris Saint-Germain in 2024 to join Real Madrid, only for PSG to win the Champions League the following year. "I know what happens when Kylian Mbappé leaves PSG: the club wins the Champions League! (And maybe soon a second time)," Bardella wrote on social media.
Le Pen's Remarks
Le Pen told RTL radio on Wednesday that she found it reassuring that Mbappé did not want her party to win, noting that his strategy of leaving PSG to win at Real Madrid had not paid off. "Frankly, I think football fans are free enough to know who to vote for without being influenced by Mbappé," she said.
Julien Odoul, an RN MP and party spokesperson, stated that as the captain of the French team, Mbappé must represent all of France, including the millions of RN voters, and should not become a "political activist."
Long-Standing Feud
Bardella, who could become the RN's presidential candidate this summer if an appeals court upholds a ban on Le Pen running, has a history of conflict with Mbappé. During France's snap parliamentary election in 2024, Mbappé described the RN's electoral gains as "catastrophic." Bardella responded by saying it was embarrassing to see wealthy athletes "give lessons to people who can no longer make ends meet, who no longer feel safe."
Mbappé's Defense
When asked by Vanity Fair about the claim that he is too rich to discuss French politics, Mbappé said: "Even as a footballer, you're foremost a citizen. We're not disconnected from the world … or from what's happening in our country. People sometimes think that because we have money, because we're famous, these kinds of problems don't affect us." He emphasized that footballers "have our say, like everyone."
Mbappé noted that the RN's gains in parliament in 2024 had shocked him and other footballers. "We're citizens and we can't just sit there saying all will be fine and go and play. We have to fight this idea that a footballer should just be content to play and keep quiet."
Symbol of Diversity
Mbappé is the face of a national team often celebrated as a symbol of diversity, and many tip France to win this summer's World Cup. He was born in 1998, the year France's World Cup-winning team starring Zinedine Zidane was mythologized as "Black-Blanc-Beur" (Black-White-Arab) and presented by politicians as capable of solving France's deep-seated identity issues through their triumph.
William Thay, from the thinktank Le Millénaire, told Reuters that Bardella's response was politically shrewd, as Mbappé's popularity in France has waned since his PSG exit, perceived arrogance, and underwhelming results at Real Madrid. However, Thay warned that the RN risks undermining its electoral strategy by attacking one of France's biggest sporting stars, while doing little to address moderates who fear the party seeks to deepen social divisions.
