France captain Kylian Mbappe urged “the youth to make a difference” in the country’s upcoming election and in the face of “extremes knocking on the door of power” as Les Bleus’ Euro 2024 opener against Austria came amid a tumultuous political moment back home.
Mbappe addressed the French people during a pre-match press conference following Emmanuel Macron’s shock announcement to call a snap parliamentary election. Macron suffered heavy defeats by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (NR) party in last week’s European Union vote.