Mbappé and Bardella Trade Blows as Far Right's Rise Splits France's Young Stars

A public quarrel between two of France's most famous young men has reignited, and it has nothing to do with soccer tactics or party strategy. It is about something bigger: the soul of the country. On one side is Kylian Mbappé, 27, the Real Madrid forward who grew up in a working-class Paris suburb home to many immigrant families. On the other is Jordan Bardella, 30, the chairman of the National Rally (RN), the once-taboo far-right party now favoured to win next year's presidential election.

Their disagreements are a microcosm of a broader struggle over France's identity and future. Just three years separate them in age. Politically, they are poles apart.

In a Vanity Fair interview published on Tuesday, Mbappé 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," he 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 did not take long to respond. He jumped on the former Paris Saint-Germain player's comments – Mbappé left PSG in 2024 for Spain, only to watch PSG lift the Champions League in 2025 without him. "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.

This is not their first row. In 2024, Bardella said it was embarrassing to see deep-pocketed athletes "give lessons to people who can no longer make ends meet, who no longer feel safe." Mbappé, who also called RN gains "catastrophic" during the 2024 European Championship, has not held back either. His spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest exchange.

William Thay, from the think tank Le Millénaire, said Bardella's riposte was politically shrewd. Mbappé's popularity has weakened in France due to his PSG exit, perceived arrogance, and underwhelming results at Real Madrid. But Thay warned that the RN risks undermining its "normalisation" strategy by attacking one of France's biggest sporting stars. It does little to reassure moderates who fear the party only seeks to deepen social divisions.

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 toward the political elite.

Mbappé, for his part, is the face of a national team often celebrated as a symbol of diversity – a team many tip to win this summer's World Cup. Bardella represents a party that pledges border controls and welfare restrictions prioritising French citizens. Their feud is not personal. It is political. And it is only going to get louder as 2027 approaches.

Written by Christiane Hofreiter