French president

Moments after the nail-biting finish at the World Cup final on Sunday night, with French fans distraught and Argentina's fans wildly celebrating, ...

“I will live this fantastic moment as before, together with my people,” he said. Danièle Obono, another lawmaker from the left-wing opposition, compared Macron’s dressing-room appearance to Steve Carell’s character in the hit show The Office, whose attempts to befriend his employees is a running gag in the series. The political backlash against Macron came from right-wing politicians too. As Macron told them they were young enough to win many more important matches in the future, the players—many half-dressed—sat slumped in their chairs, exhausted and unsmiling, some staring at the ground. [said on Sunday he would](https://www.aninews.in/news/world/others/argentinas-president-to-watch-world-cup-final-from-home20221218064450/) watch the final match from Buenos Aires. Mbappé stayed. [the editorial of the French soccer site SoFoot on Monday](https://www.sofoot.com/macron-hors-jeu-sur-toute-la-ligne-523113.html), calling his gestures after the match “inopportune” and “paternalistic.” [Le Point estimated the cost](https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/coupe-du-monde-2022-le-cout-exorbitant-des-allers-retours-de-macron-au-qatar-18-12-2022-2502181_23.php) of Macron’s two Paris-Qatar trips to be at least €500,000 ($530,000) and possibly as high as €812,000 ($861,000)—money paid by taxpayers, at a time of high inflation and steep energy prices. [ posted to his 10.2 million](https://twitter.com/KMbappe/status/1604783580819120129) Twitter followers on Monday was not of Macron hugging him, but of himself collecting the FIFA Golden Boot award in Qatar on Sunday night, in honor of being the tournament’s top scorer, with eight goals. [said on BFM Television ](https://www.bfmtv.com/politique/emmanuel-macron-recevra-les-bleus-a-l-elysee-dans-quelques-semaines-en-fonction-de-leur-calendrier_AV-202212180386.html)that the team would greet fans on the Champs-Elysées avenue on Monday, French Football Federation president Noël Le Graet quickly shot down the idea, [telling BFM that](https://www.bfmtv.com/societe/noel-le-graet-annonce-qu-il-n-y-aura-pas-de-rassemblement-place-de-la-concorde-pour-le-retour-des-bleus_VN-202212190280.html) the players were “not in the mood to be paraded on the Champs or elsewhere.” But by mid-afternoon, the government announced a gathering with the players that evening in the Concorde square. “Macron is Michael Scott. [Benjamin Lucas,](https://twitter.com/Benjam1Lucas/status/1604757901771431936) a Greens member of the left-wing coalition in parliament.