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BONE – The Head of the Religious Affairs Office (KUA) of Ulaweng District, Bone Regency, H Muhammad Saleh, has openly declared his support for the French national football team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

His admiration for Les Bleus is not something new.

He has been a devoted fan of the team, famously known as Les Bleus, since his younger days.

Muhammad Saleh said he began idolising France after watching their performance in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

At that time, the player who captured his attention the most was the French football legend Zinedine Zidane.

According to him, Zidane was the main reason he fell in love with the French national team.

“Since the 1998 World Cup, I have supported France. Back then, Zidane played incredibly well,” he said when interviewed on Wednesday (3 June 2026).

He explained that France has a strong footballing tradition and consistently produces world-class players.

Indeed, France has already won the World Cup twice — first in 1998 and again in 2018.

Currently, Muhammad Saleh’s favourite player is Kylian Mbappé.

He deeply admires Mbappé’s speed, technical ability, and sharpness in front of goal.

His admiration for the star even extends into his personal life.

Muhammad Saleh revealed that he once styled his hair to resemble Mbappé’s signature haircut because of how much he idolised the player, who now represents Real Madrid.

Not only that, he also admitted that he had once used the name of a French player as inspiration for his personal account password.

“Because I’m such a big fan of France and Mbappé, I even copied his hairstyle. The name of a French player once inspired my password too,” he said with a smile.

According to Muhammad Saleh, the current French squad is extremely balanced, filled with star players competing for top clubs across Europe.

In defence, there are names like Malo Gusto of Chelsea, Ibrahima Konaté of Liverpool, and Jules Koundé of FC Barcelona.

Additionally, William Saliba is a key player for Arsenal.

In midfield, France boasts young and talented players such as Warren Zaïre-Emery from Paris Saint-Germain, Aurélien Tchouameni from Real Madrid, and Adrien Rabiot.

With such a star-studded line-up, Muhammad Saleh is confident that France has what it takes to compete strongly and once again lift the world champion trophy at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.