The easiest way to ascertain which French athletes have the most local cut-through is by observing the bromances of Emmanuel Macron. No need to pick out familiar faces on the giant billboards, statues and street art accessorising the centre of Paris; simply follow the president’s Twitter account for exhaustive relationship timelines.
The first that springs to mind is, of course, Kylian Mbappe. Macron fostered a rapport with one of the world’s most distinguished footballers back when he was 19, perhaps recognising the public relations value of associating with the breakout star of France’s 2018 World Cup win. For the past several years, the connection has played out online and in person – at state occasions and other events, including one of the more mortifying pitchside embraces in Qatar after France’s 2022 World Cup final loss to Argentina.
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