Paris-AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron will head to Qatar to attend the World Cup semi-final match between France and Morocco on Wednesday; French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra told Franceinfo radio on Sunday.
Oudéa-Castéra, who attended Saturday evening’s quarter-final match in which France beat England by two goals to one, said “I will come back with the president on Wednesday; the details of the trip are yet to be settled, but he made a promise; he’s going to commit to it and honor it with pleasure”.
The minister added “He watched every second of the French team’s match yesterday Saturday; he will be a source of strength for us in this next stage”.
Even before the start of the World Cup, the French president announced that he will attend the semi-finals or the final if the “Roosters” qualified; a controversial commitment due to the criticism of migrant workers’ conditions in Qatar, the impact of air-conditioned stadiums on the environment and the status of women and minorities.
Macron on Saturday evening via Twitter “Congratulations to the Blues! The whole country is behind you: we will reach the final together. To the Moroccans: we salute your historic victory. See you in the semi-finals!”.