CNN —Soccer star Kylian Mbappé has called the first round of French elections “catastrophic” after last Sunday’s results saw the country lurch towards the far-right with anti-immigration party National Rally (RN) leading first place. The captain for France’s national soccer team, who is preparing for Les Bleus’ Euro 2024 quarterfinal against Portugal in Hamburg on Friday, urged the French public to vote saying “now more than ever” it was needed. If the RN assumes power, it would become the first far-right party to enter the French government since World War II – although nothing is certain ahead of Sunday’s second round. This isn’t the first time that Mbappé has spoken about French politics while he’s been with the French national soccer team at Euro 2024. “And that is why I want to talk to the whole of the French people, but also the youth.

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Persons: Kylian Mbappé, Les, “, ” Mbappe, Emmanuel Macron’s, Mbappé, ”, he’s, ” Mbappé, Mbappé’s Les, Jules Kounde –, ” Kounde, CNN’s Niamh Kennedy, Saskya Vandoorne Organizations: CNN — Soccer, National, soccer team, Les Bleus, Portugal, Front, NFP, French national soccer, Reuters Locations: Hamburg, Germany, France, Sunday’s, Algeria, Cameroon, Belgium