Overview
- Jordan Bardella mocked Kylian Mbappé on X on Wednesday, with Marine Le Pen repeating the jab on RTL, following Tuesday’s Vanity Fair interview where the France captain warned about the National Rally.
- Kylian Mbappé told Vanity Fair he fears the consequences if the far-right party wins power in 2027 and urged people to reject extremists who, he said, would divide the country.
- Bardella tied his response to football by noting PSG won the Champions League after Mbappé left in 2024, a taunt that sought to undercut the striker’s standing at home.
- Bardella is seen as the likely RN candidate if an appeals court upholds Marine Le Pen’s political ban this summer, and at least one poll reported he could win.
- An analyst said Bardella’s move exploited Mbappé’s softer popularity after leaving PSG and a slow start at Real Madrid, though he warned the RN risks its mainstream rebranding by attacking a national sports icon.