Mbappe and Bardella trade barbs over far right's gains in France

PARIS, May 13 - A public quarrel between two of France's most famous young men - one a soccer player, the other a darling of the far right - over a possible National Rally (RN) victory in next year's presidential election has reignited in public.

Their disagreements are a microcosm of a broader struggle over France's identity and future ahead of next year's election, with an anti-immigration nationalist RN candidate favourite.

Just three years separate Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, 27, and RN party chairman Jordan Bardella, 30 - but politically they are poles apart.

Mbappe, who comes from a working-class suburb of Paris that is home to many immigrant families, is the face of a national team often celebrated as a symbol of diversity and which many tip to win this summer's World Cup.

Bardella represents the future of a once-taboo far-right party that has notched major gains with its pledges to enforce border controls and restructure welfare to prioritise French citizens.

In a Vanity Fair interview published on Tuesday, Mbappe voiced concern about the consequences of an RN win in 2027.

"People sometimes think that because we have money, because we're famous, these kinds of problems don't affect us," Mbappe was quoted as saying. "But they affect me; I know what it means and what consequences it can have for my country when people like them come to power."

Bardella jumped on the comments by the former Paris St Germain player, who left the French club in 2024 in pursuit of greater glory in Spain - only to see PSG lift the Champions League in 2025.

"I know what happens when Kylian Mbappé leaves PSG: the club wins the Champions League! (And maybe soon a second time)," Bardella shot back on X.

NOT THE FIRST MBAPPE-BARDELLA ROW

A spokesperson for Mbappe, who also called RN gains "catastrophic" during the 2024 Euros, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

William Thay, from think tank Le Millénaire, said Bardella's riposte was politically shrewd as Mbappe's popularity has weakened in France due to his PSG exit, perceived arrogance and underwhelming results at Real Madrid.

But Thay said the RN risks undermining its "normalisation" strategy by attacking one of France's biggest sporting stars, while doing little to assuage moderates who fear the party only seeks to deepen social divisions.

In 2024, Bardella had also traded barbs with Mbappe, saying it was embarrassing to see deep-pocketed athletes "give lessons to people who can no longer make ends meet, who no longer feel safe."

Bardella will likely be the RN's presidential candidate if his mentor Marine Le Pen's political ban is upheld by an appeals court this summer. At least one poll has suggested he could win.

France's far-right has benefited from a cost-of-living crisis, rising anti-immigration sentiment and general resentment towards the political elite. REUTERS