France's World Cup Team Brings Positive Attention To Suburban Fans
Eight of France's World Cup team come from the suburbs of big cities — non-white areas known for poverty. France won in 1998 with a multi-ethnic team, bringing hope, but not much has changed since.
As France competes in the World Cup, the makeup of the team is bringing some positive attention to some French that have been struggling with poverty and low expectations. Several team members are from "les banlieus," the mainly non-white working-class suburbs that surround many major cities such as Paris, Lyon and Marseilles.
One of the French team's stars, Kylian Mbappe, hails from the Paris suburb of Bondy. It's less than 10 miles from the beautiful center of Paris but feels like another world with its monolithic, cinderblock buildings. Bondy's mayor, Sylvine Thomassin says the "Kylian Mbappe effect" is a real boost for the town.
"It's marvelous,
