French President Emmanuel Macron joined President William Ruto and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to play football during the Africa Forward Summit at the University of Nairobi on May 11, 2026 / PCS
French President Emmanuel Macron joined President William Ruto and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye for a light football moment during the Africa Forward Summit at the University of Nairobi on Monday.
The three leaders were joined by former French football coach Claude Le Roy as they exchanged a few passes on the pitch in a brief but lively display that drew excitement from participants attending the summit.
The Presidents were seen smiling and casually kicking the ball to one another as they interacted with guests at the venue.
The moment came during engagements focused on sports commercialisation and youth opportunities, where leaders discussed the growing role of sports in economic transformation, job creation and cultural diplomacy across Africa.
The three presidents have been participating in high-level discussions at the summit alongside other African and international leaders.
French President Emmanuel Macron joined President William
Ruto and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to play football during the
Africa Forward Summit at the University of Nairobi on May 11, 2026 / PCSThe President said Africa’s youthful population presents a historic opportunity to build one of the world’s most dynamic sports economies.
The forum brought together French President Emmanuel Macron, Botswana President Duma Boko and Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, with leaders agreeing that Africa’s sporting potential remains largely underutilised despite its global success in athletics and football.
“Africa today is the youngest continent on Earth. More than one billion Africans are below the age of 35. That is not simply a statistic. It is a historic opportunity to turn talent into enterprise, passion into prosperity, and potential into power," he said.
The President said sports should no longer be viewed purely as recreation or competition, but as a major economic sector linked to infrastructure, tourism, technology, culture and investment.
“Today, sports are infrastructure. Sports are an investment. Sports are culture, diplomacy, technology, tourism and jobs,” he said.
President Macron said investment in sports infrastructure was critical for talent development and youth empowerment.
“Sports enable many people to use their talents to earn an income,” Macron said. “They also inculcate discipline among young people. The sports industry is massive, and Africa is yet to get its rightful share,” he said.
