"I know this is an important day for Yu-Gi-Oh! and the entire world of trading card games… We are very proud to host the world championship and welcome all enthusiasts from around the world gathered in France, to fully experience their passion, the game, their world," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a pre-recorded video played on 30/8 at the 2025 Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship in Paris.
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President Emmanuel Macron shows off his "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" card in a video played at the 2025 Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship in Paris, France, on 30/8. Photo: Straits Times |
President Emmanuel Macron shows off his "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" card in a video played at the 2025 Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship in Paris, France, on 30/8. Photo: Straits Times
The president expressed his hope that France would become "more deeply involved" in the game and continue to cooperate with Japanese entertainment conglomerate Konami, the owner of the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game.
He thanked Konami for their meeting at the annual Japan Expo in France held in June. "I still have my card," the French president said, holding up "Blue-Eyes White Dragon," one of the game's most famous cards.
"I really want to say 'Welcome to France, have fun playing'," Macron said. "I'm very proud that you are in our country, and I hope to see you again soon to continue our conversation."
Macron's video delighted many. "The French president holding up a Blue-Eyes White Dragon card and talking about the importance of Yu-Gi-Oh! is truly something I never expected this year," one Youtube commenter wrote.
President Macron is known to be a fan of Japanese manga and anime. He once received a drawing of One Piece characters from the author, Eiichiro Oda.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024. Konami has previously collaborated with celebrity fans of the game, such as singer-songwriter Zayn Malik and actor Dylan Sprouse. However, before President Macron, no world leader had ever appeared at one of their events.
France was previously the second-largest manga market outside Japan but was overtaken by the US this year. The 2025 Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship began on 29/8 and ended on 31/8.
Vu Hoang (Straits Times, AFP, Reuters)
