HAMBURG, Germany -
France soccer captain Kylian Mbapp茅 warned on Thursday his country is in a "catastrophic鈥 political situation as it lurches closer to a first far-right government since World War II.
The National Rally gained strong results 鈥 around 33 per cent of the vote nationwide 鈥 on Sunday in the first round of a rushed election, leaving Marine Le Pen鈥檚 party poised to potentially gain power.
The second round of the legislative elections are on Sunday and Mbapp茅, one of the most high-profile people in France, was asked if he had a message to the nation.
鈥淚 think now, more than ever, you need to get (out to vote),鈥 said Mbapp茅, who was speaking in Hamburg, Germany, the day before France plays Portugal there in the European Championship quarterfinals.
鈥淚t is an urgent juncture. We cannot let our country fall into the hands of these people. It is pressing 鈥 we saw the results, it is catastrophic.鈥
Mbapp茅 made a similar call earlier at Euro 2024, when he said 鈥渢he extremes are knocking on the door of power.鈥
Now, there was a sense of urgency in his sentiments.
鈥淲e really hope this is going to change,鈥 he said of the election results, 鈥渢hat everyone is going to rally together to go and vote, and vote for the right party.鈥
French President Emmanuel Macron called the snap election after a defeat at the hands of the National Rally in European Parliament elections last month, gambling that the far-right would not repeat its success in a domestic ballot. The plan backfired and Le Pen鈥檚 rivals are now desperately trying to prevent the National Rally winning an outright majority in Sunday鈥檚 second round.
France's players have been asked regularly about the political situation back home during news conferences at Euro 2024.
Ousmane Dembele said 鈥渢he alarm bell has been sounded鈥 and fellow forward Marcus Thuram went further by saying French people 鈥渘eed to fight daily so that ... the National Rally does not succeed.鈥
The National Rally is the party with a history of racism and xenophobia.
France's soccer team that won the Euro 2000 title two years after lifting the nation鈥檚 first World Cup trophy in Paris was hailed as a model of diversity and unity. The mix of 鈥淏lack, Blanc, Beur鈥 (Black, white and Arab) players was an echo of the French tricolor flag of blue, white and red.