Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Many letters from the French President
French President Emmanuel Macron visited the French national team’s camp in Clairfontein ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, a sight he routinely repeated with athletes before major tournaments.
As usual, Macron began his tour by shaking hands and talking friendly with the players, and he singled out national team captain Kylian Mbappe with a special salute before sending motivational messages to the entire group.
The French president wanted to appeal to Ousmane Dembele and the five PSG players in the national team, asking them to stay focused after their latest Champions League victory, saying: “We have to think straight about what’s coming.”
It comes as France looks for a new achievement to reignite national enthusiasm after the 2024 Paris Olympics run out of steam, as French authorities believe the team’s success at the World Cup could rekindle fan enthusiasm.
At the same time, Macron referred to the riots and violence that took place in some French cities after PSG won the Champions League trophy for the second time, expressing his dissatisfaction with those events.
The French president said. “We don’t want to see it again, we’re tired of it,” echoing a similar stance he made a year ago after Paris Saint-Germain’s first European win.
The report notes that Macron often turns into a “moral coach” when he meets athletes, using these occasions to send messages into the domestic political arena that sometimes go beyond sports.
“You have to be hungry for success, because those who are the most hungry are the ones who win,” a phrase that observers say has both sporting and political significance.
Macron concluded his speech by stressing that true success at major tournaments is not just about participation, recalling a phrase he told the French national team ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia: “A tournament is successful when you win it.”
