A tweet from actor Amitabh Bachchan has ignited controversy just as the FIFA World Cup 2026 captures global attention. After the France national football team advanced in the World Cup by defeating the Paraguay national football team, Big B tweeted, “T 5794 -अब कहे देते हैं : the French WC 2026 football team .. the FRENCH !! 11 players in team .. 10 Black .. !! 1 white !!? the POWER of BLACK.”
The post spread rapidly, becoming one of the most talked-about topics on X within hours of being shared. Reaction was swift and largely critical. Many users accused the actor of reducing the French national team to the skin colour of its players, arguing that footballers ought to be recognised by nationality rather than race. Several called the framing insensitive and unnecessary.
Others pushed back by pointing to France’s long history as a multicultural nation, noting that many squad members were born and raised in France despite having African or Caribbean heritage, and that the tweet glossed over that lived reality while casting doubt on their identity as French players. A section of users defended Bachchan, arguing he was simply stating a fact, while many others maintained the wording itself was the problem.
Back in 2018, when France won the World Cup securing their second title, Amitabh had tweeted: “That’s it then…AFRICA won the World Cup 2018!!!,” referencing the number of African-origin players on that squad. This post also drew criticism at the time.