Trading in diplomacy for duel monsters , French President Emmanuel Macron dropped in during a livestream of the 2025 Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship in Paris, surprising thousands of fans of the popular Japanese trading card game who were watching online.

In his prerecorded address on Aug 30 , Mr Macron said: “ I know this is an important day for Yu-Gi-Oh! and the entire world of trading card games (TCGs) ... and it is a great source of pride for us to host the World Championship... (and) to have all the enthusiasts from around the world gathered in France, to live out their passion, their games, their universe.”

He hopes that France would become “more and more involved” in the game, and continue discussions with Japanese entertainment giant Konami, which owns Yu-Gi-Oh!.

He thanked Konami for their meeting at France’s annual Japan Expo – the largest of its kind in Europe – which was held from June 3 to 6.

“I still have my card,” he said, holding up the iconic Blue Eyes White Dragon card from the game.

Mr Macron is known as a fan of manga and anime, and has even received an original drawing of characters in the hit anime One Piece from its author, Eiichiro Oda.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024, is widely considered the third most popular card game in terms of sales and reach, behind Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon.

Konami previously collaborated with celebrities who are fans of the game, such as singer-songwriter Zayn Malik and actor Dylan Sprouse. H owever, a world leader has never been featured until now.

France has historically been the No. 2 market for manga outside of Japan , only recently being overtaken by the US in 2025.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2025, which began on Aug 29, will end on Aug 31.

“I really wanted to say, ‘Welcome to France, have a good game’ ”, said Mr Macron . “I am thinking of you, and I am very proud that you are in our country among us, and I hope to see you again soon, to continue the discussion”

He also expressed confidence in the game and the perspective that it offers, but did not elaborate.

A YouTube user on the livestream commented: “The president of France holding up a Blue Eyes card and talking about the importance of Yu-Gi-Oh! was not on my bingo card for this year.”

Mr Macron’s Blue Eyes White Dragon card sits on his desk, as captured by his official photographer Soazig de la Moissonniere, alongside another card from the French trading card game Wankul.

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