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HAMBURG, Germany (AP) \u2014 France soccer captain Kylian Mbapp\u00e9<\/a><\/span><\/span> warned on Thursday his country is in a “catastrophic\u201d political situation as it lurches closer to a first far-right government since World War II.<\/p>\n The National Rally gained strong results \u2014 around 33% of the vote nationwide \u2014 on Sunday in the first round of a rushed election, leaving Marine Le Pen\u2019s party poised to potentially gain power.<\/p>\n The second round of the legislative elections are on Sunday and Mbapp\u00e9, one of the most high-profile people in France, was asked if he had a message to the nation.<\/p>\n \u201cI think now, more than ever, you need to get (out to vote),\u201d said Mbapp\u00e9, who was speaking in Hamburg, Germany, the day before France plays Portugal there in the European Championship quarterfinals.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is an urgent juncture. We cannot let our country fall into the hands of these people. It is pressing \u2014 we saw the results, it is catastrophic.\u201d<\/p>\n Mbapp\u00e9 made a similar call earlier at Euro 2024, when he said \u201cthe extremes are knocking on the door of power.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, there was a sense of urgency in his sentiments.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really hope this is going to change,\u201d he said of the election results, \u201cthat everyone is going to rally together to go and vote, and vote for the right party.\u201d<\/p>\n President Emmanuel Macron called the snap election after a defeat at the hands of the National Rally in European Parliament elections last month, gambling that the far-right would not repeat its success in a domestic ballot. The plan backfired and Le Pen\u2019s rivals are now desperately trying to prevent the National Rally winning an outright majority in Sunday\u2019s second round.<\/p>\n France’s players have been asked regularly about the political situation back home during news conferences at Euro 2024.<\/p>\n Ousmane Dembele said \u201cthe alarm bell has been sounded\u201d and fellow forward Marcus Thuram went further by saying French people \u201cneed to fight daily so that … the National Rally does not succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n The National Rally is the party with a history of racism and xenophobia.<\/p>\n France’s soccer team that won the Euro 2000 title two years after lifting the nation\u2019s first World Cup trophy in Paris was hailed as a model of diversity and unity. The mix of \u201cBlack, Blanc, Beur\u201d (Black, white and Arab) players was an echo of the French tricolor flag of blue, white and red.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n AP Euro 2024: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/euro-2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n