France national football team players

France, South Korea and Morocco all walked away with some major international relations kudos.

[The Conversation](https://theconversation.com) under a Creative Commons license. Adding to their position as champions of “benign” soft power, the Japanese national team also [cleaned their changing rooms](https://japantoday.com/category/fifa-world-cup-2022/Japan-World-Cup-team-manners-awesome-as-locker-room-pics-show) after their matches. This was further enhanced with a viral social media post showing [large numbers of supporters dancing](https://variety.com/2022/music/news/world-cup-anthem-gala-freed-from-desire-1235455653/) to a 1996 pop song after Saudi Arabia beat the eventual champions, Argentina. [across the Arab world](https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/14/football/morocco-fifa-soccer-world-cup-mime-spt-intl/index.html), Morocco having progressed further than any other previous team from the Middle East or North Africa. [pitch with his mother](https://egyptianstreets.com/2022/12/14/why-the-recognition-of-moroccan-players-parents-matters/) after his side’s victory over Portugal was a compelling act of family and togetherness that has resonated with people around the world. In tandem with Kook came the [carmaker Hyundai-Kia](https://dohanews.co/k-pops-bts-world-cup-sponsorships-are-as-much-politics-as-they-are-business/), which has an endorsement deal with BTS and is also a key Fifa sponsor. When he flew to Doha after France had made it to the semifinals, [he met the emir of Qatar](https://www.wionews.com/world/macron-defends-qatar-visit-amid-eu-qatar-corruption-scandal-543272). [persuade Mbappé not to leave PSG](https://www.marca.com/en/football/psg/2022/11/11/636e19cae2704eed1e8b45b6.html) for Real Madrid, such is his importance to France. At full time in the final, he [repeatedly consoled Mbappé](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/emmanuel-macron-final-france-argentina-b2247589.html). It’s about shaping global perceptions and attitudes using things like music, fashion, and [sport](https://www.newamerica.org/fellows/events/online-how-soft-is-the-power-of-sport/). One player (arguably the world’s best right now) is instrumental in this: Kylian Mbappé. [foreign policy tool](https://wcfia.harvard.edu/publications/soft-power-means-success-world-politics).