What France and Belgium’s World Cup success says about European immigration

By: Afshin Molavi | Washington Post |

When the French national team electrified the world two decades ago with a 3-0 drubbing of powerhouse Brazil in the World Cup final, Kylian Mbappé had not yet even been born. On Saturday, the 19-year-old French striker accomplished a feat that only one other player has ever achieved: scoring two goals in a World Cup match as a teenager.

The other player to achieve that milestone? The Brazilian legend, Pele, back in 1958 when he first stormed onto the international stage. Not bad company for the son of a Cameroonian father and Algerian mother, who grew up in Paris suburbs idolizing Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

Italian soccer fans have also been among the most racist toward African players. The president of the Italian football federation once lamented the “banana eaters” populating Italy’s professional leagues. Italy ranks low among European squads in terms of first-generation immigrants donning the national jersey. (The Italian side failed to qualify for the World Cup this year.)

Meanwhile, the latest multicultural team turning heads is Belgium, with a small population of only 11 million. Loaded with talented and hard-working sons of first-generation migrants from Congo, Morocco, Burundi, Mali and beyond, Belgium came into the tournament as world’s No. 3 team. On Friday, the Belgians advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 victory over Brazil, and will play France on July 10.

Belgium’s soccer transformation is the most talked-about revitalization program in the game. A grass-roots transformation began in the early 2000s, with an emphasis on technical skills and nationwide youth development. This coincided with a national program to use soccer to help integrate recent migrants. It proved to be a potent mix, and the so-called “golden generation” of Belgian players born of that era are playing starring roles in top-flight European leagues.

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