KYLIAN MBAPPE LAMENTS 'CATASTROPHIC' SNAP ELECTION RESULTS IN FRANCE, WITH LES BLEUS SUPERSTAR AGAIN INSISTING IT IS 'URGENT' PEOPLE VOTE TO STOP MOVE TOWARDS FAR RIGHT

• Marine Le Pen's National Rally party won 33 per cent of vote in first round 
• Kylian Mbappe urged people to get out and vote to avoid 'catastrophic result'
• LISTEN to It's All Kicking Off! EUROS DAILY: Why 'biggest culprit' Roberto Martinez needs to overrule Cristiano Ronaldo  

France captain Kylian Mbappe admits the 'catastrophic' results from the country's snap election has made it increasingly important to vote against a move towards the far right. 

Marine Le Pen's National Rally party won around 33 percent of the vote in Sunday's first round with a second round of the legislative run-off set for this weekend.

Mbappe is preparing for a Euro 2024 quarter-final against Portugal on Friday but was asked whether he had a message for his home nation.

'It is an urgent juncture. We cannot let our country fall into the hands of these people. 

'It is pressing - we saw the results, it is catastrophic,' he told a press conference in Hamburg.

'I think now, more than ever, you need to get (out to vote).

'We really hope this is going to change, that everyone is going to rally together to go and vote, and vote for the right party.'

Mbappe, who will play for Les Bleus against Portugal on Friday night in their quarter-final clash, also spoke on the issue prior to the tournament in Germany. 

'I share the same values as Marcus (Thuram). Of course I support him. For me, he hasn't gone too far. It's freedom of speech, and I'm on his side.

'We are citizens, we cannot be disconnected from the world around us. We know that we are in an important situation for our country, an unprecedented situation. 

'I want to address the French people. The extremes are at the gates of power, we have the opportunity to choose the future of our country.

'I call on all young people to go and vote, to understand the gravity of the situation. I hope that my voice resonates as far as possible. I hope we will still be proud to wear this jersey on July 7.' 

France boss Didier Deschamps backed the rights of his players to speak out on matters beyond football.

'I think the situation is sad,' said Thuram in the decision by France's president Emmanuel Macron to call a snap election after a big victory for his rival Le Pen's National Rally party in the European Parliament vote.

'It's the sad reality of our society today. We must tell everyone to go and vote. We all need to fight daily so that this doesn't happen and that the National Rally does not succeed.'

Speaking on National Rally's recent growth in popularity, Thuram said: 'We must go and vote we must tell everyone around the world to go vote and above all, it is necessary as a citizen whether it is you or it is me, we must fight on a daily basis so that this does not happen again.' 

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2024-07-04T18:24:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd