Goal Diplomacy

Author: Nuha Khan 

As France prepares to hold a snap parliamentary election from June 30 – July 7, the country’s political divisions are evident in every aspect of society – including sports. This election is a competition of extremes with the far-right and far-left set to force out President Macron’s Renaissance and other centrist parties within parliament. 

According to the most recent polls, the far-right National Rally (RN) alliance is poised to win the election with 35.5% of the vote. The left wing New Popular Front (NPF) and its allies follow behind with 29.5% of votes while Macron’s centrist coalition stands in third place with 19.5% of votes. As across the EU, the far-right has gained traction in France as anti-immigration sentiments have spread in part, fueled by economic hardships, social disparities, and changing demographics. Holding roots in Africa, the Middle East, and former French colonies, French National Team players are appealing to voters to support politicians who value racial and ethnic diversity. 

Thanks to its success, the French National Football team is incredibly popular with the public. In 2018, the World Cup winning Les Bleus boasted some of the tournament’s greatest talents such as star striker Kylian Mbappé. Mbappé, who was born in Paris to an Algerian mother and Cameroonian father, began the 2024 EURO competition appealing to young people to vote against far-right candidates. In a press conference, the 25-year-old stated that “The extremes are at the gates of power” in this “crucial” moment. The player went on to declare, “I don’t want to represent a country that doesn’t correspond to my values, or our values”. French winger Ousmane Dembélé, whose mother is Mauritanian-Senegalese and father is Malian, also urged voters to vote against the far-right as he said, “I think the alarm bell has been sounded…I think we need to mobilize ourselves to vote, all together”. Additionally, forward Marcus Thuram, son of French footballer Lilian Thuram, called on voters to “fight daily” to stop the rise of the right wing.

For decades, the French national team has been a visualization of the country’s diversity. In 1998, as the country won the FIFA World Cup, Les Bleus was nicknamed “Black, Blanc, Beur” (Black, White and Arab) as then-President Jacques Chirac characterized them as a “tricolor and multicolor team” that illustrated a “beautiful image of France and its humanity”.

The French National Team has the ability to further gain popularity through a stellar performance in the EURO 2024 competition. It is currently unclear if such popularity can support French players’ clear calls for decisive action in the parliamentary elections against the far-right. But for now, players like Mbappé continue to illustrate how sports, particularly football, offers a podium to address civic and social issues.

Image Credit: “Mbappé 25032021.jpg” by Football.ua, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).