Emmanuel Macron met with Kylian Mbappe this week and explained how he does not approve of his impending move to Real Madrid. Photo: AFP/Ioan Valat
“What influence does the president have? In my career today, in 2023, no,” Kylian Mbappe said last year. A lot can change in 12 months. Let it be clear: Mbappe can leave of his own free will. Paris Saint-Germain is preparing for his departure this summer, Real Madrid is waiting. He can leave any time he wants. But will he ever be able to leave? Not if Emmanuel Macron has anything to do with it.
The President is at the center of every important sporting event in France. This week, during a state dinner at the Elysee Palace to mark the visit of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, Macron spoke to Mbappe, a disgraced guest as he signaled his intention to leave. “You will create problems for us,” Macron said. It is reported that he smiled at the same time, which for some reason made his words sound even more ominous.
He's right, and not just about the crisis facing PSG — who will they feature in all their advertisements from now on? Keylor Navas is simply not going to do it. Relations between France and Qatar are becoming increasingly complicated, and the exit of the star player from the Galactico project, funded by generous foreign friends, was certainly not part of the business plan. Macron was allegedly involved in Mbappe's re-signing for PSG in 2022, perhaps by running his hand across a piece of paper and helpfully having it write «Kylian» on the bottom line.
If you are an outstanding or successful French athlete in any field, Macron will soon intervene. The President will track you down and almost certainly hug you. At the 2018 World Cup final, taking advantage of the large legroom in the VIP seats, he jumped to his feet and punched the air as France took the lead. Afterwards, a trip to the dressing room to chat with Benjamin Mendy and Paul Pogba. Indeed, it was a different time.
Macron celebrates in the VIP seats at the 2018 FIFA World Cup final… Photo: Reuters/Sputnik 
… and then talked to Paul Pogba in the locker room. Photo: Getty Images/Michael Regan
Last year he drank beer in a match against French rugby champions Toulouse, but the players and staff present agreed to keep the moment secret. Nevertheless, the video appeared and was viewed millions of times. Overall, the president could have done without the ensuing scandal over irresponsible behavior and toxic masculinity, but at what cost?Inevitably, he gained access to the dressing room after France's Rugby World Cup victory, a foreshadowing of what is likely to follow every Olympic medal this summer. Last year's tournament was seen as a test run for Paris 2024, but Macron may want to reconsider his opening ceremony strategy. The bonhomie at the Stade de France was shattered by jeers and catcalls as soon as he appeared on the podium. If you raise the retirement age in a holiday-loving country, you can probably expect the answer: allez les boos.
And yet the temptation of sports is irresistible. As pointed out in Jacques Chirac's 1998 playbook, his associations can be used to distract from all sorts of minor political bumps in the road, such as angry citizens in luminous jackets. Macron has attended stages of the Tour de France, as have most other presidents. He played in midfield in a charity match with Marcel Desailly and Arsene Wenger. There were also two trips to Qatar in one week for the semi-finals and final of the 2022 World Cup. The latter ended with Macron attempting to console Mbappe on the pitch. Not now, mate.
Macron was on hand to sympathize with Mbappe after the 2022 World Cup final defeat. Photo: Shutterstock/Friedemann Vogel
Why does he persist? Football is a cosmopolitan and multicultural success story, while rugby connects it with a demographic and part of the country that may feel disenfranchised compared to Paris. Macron also likes to promote his fitness. He is an athlete and last month posted a video urging the French to start exercising daily in preparation for the Olympics. Of course, it will take serious strength to endure eight days of judo.
Macron said before the 2022 World Cup final that “sport should not be politicized.” Unfortunately, this dream becomes farther away every time a politician plays sports. Someone should tell him about this.
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