Kylian Mbappe admits he 'doesn't want to represent France' if they vote for far-right parties as France star urges young people to turn out in upcoming elections

With the elections set to begin for France's Legislative Assembly, Mbappe refrained from publicly endorsing or disparaging any political party. The striker, however, stood by his team-mate Marcus Thuram's remarks from Saturday, stating that the latter "had not gone too far" in urging the nation "to fight every day" in order to prevent the far-right National Rally (RN) from winning the elections.

Speaking to the media, the France captain said: "I think we are at a crucial moment in the history of our country. That's why I really want to address all the French people and especially the young generation. I think that we are a generation that can make a difference.

"We see very clearly that the extremes are at the gates of power and we have the opportunity to choose the future of our country. This is why I call on all young people to go vote and to become aware of the importance of the situation I hope that my voice will carry as much as possible.

"We need to identify with this country, to identify with our values which are values of tolerance, diversity, and respect. I trust the French, every voice counts. I really hope that we will make the right choice and that we will be proud to wear this jersey on July 7."

When asked about Thuram's opinions regarding stopping RN, Mbappe said: "I share the same values as Marcus, I am with him. For me, he did not go too far, he gave his opinion, and I side with him.

"I don’t want to represent a country that doesn’t correspond to our values."

France's legislative elections will be held in two rounds with the first round set to begin on June 30 and the second round to be held on July 7. The election will appoint 577 members to the 17th National Assembly of the Fifth French Republic. RN (far-right) have been gaining more and more momentum since 2012 following the ascension of Marine Le Pen, who took over from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen. In 2022, RN gained 89 seats in the Legislative Assembly as compared to eight in 2017, and two in 2012.

The Real Madrid superstar will be in action next up when France take on Austria on Monday, June 17 at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf.