Football, free expression, and the defeat of fascism

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) praises players of the French men's national football team, including Kylian Mbappé and Jules Koundé, for speaking out against the Rassemblement National during the July 2024 elections. The statement argues that such actions are essential for protecting democracy and advancing social and climate justice, contrasting this activism with the efforts of governing bodies like FIFA, UEFA, and CONMEBOL to 'depoliticize' the sport.

• Football governing bodies such as FIFA, CONMEBOL, and UEFA attempt to 'depoliticize' the sport by issuing large fines to clubs and players who display political messages, despite often selecting tournament hosts with poor human rights records.
• Players from the French men's national team, including Kylian Mbappé and Jules Koundé, publicly opposed the Rassemblement National during the legislative elections leading up to July 7, arguing that a victory for the far right would have been a 'catastrophe' for social and climate justice in France.
• The activism of the French players is framed as part of a broader history of athletes using their platforms for social justice, citing examples such as Jenni Hermoso's struggle against sexual assault, Sócrates's resistance to military dictatorship in Brazil in the 1980s, and the 1942 Dynamo Kiev squad's defiance of Nazis.

APA

Miller, T. R. (2024). Football, free expression, and the defeat of fascism. World Association for Christian Communication. https://waccglobal.org/football-free-expression-and-the-defeat-of-fascism/

Chicago

Miller, Terri R. Football, free expression, and the defeat of fascism. World Association for Christian Communication, 2024. https://waccglobal.org/football-free-expression-and-the-defeat-of-fascism/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Miller |first1=Terri R. |title=Football, free expression, and the defeat of fascism |publisher=World Association for Christian Communication |date=15 July 2024 |url=https://waccglobal.org/football-free-expression-and-the-defeat-of-fascism/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{miller2024football, author = {Miller, Terri R.}, title = {{Football, free expression, and the defeat of fascism}}, publisher = {World Association for Christian Communication}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://waccglobal.org/football-free-expression-and-the-defeat-of-fascism/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }