Let's discuss a social issue.

Whether it's football or basketball, you probably have this feeling or confusion:

"Isn't France a European country? Why do the players on the field seem more African than Africans themselves?"

This post will address this topic.

It must be noted that West African black athletes typically possess a higher ratio of fast-twitch muscle fibers, longer limbs and Achilles tendons, as well as denser bones.

These traits help improve explosive power and stride length, giving advantages in sprinting, jumping, basketball, and other contact sports.

Athletes from the East African highlands, on the other hand, have adapted to low-oxygen environments, resulting in stronger cardiovascular capacity and endurance slow-twitch muscle fibers, making them excel in middle- and long-distance running events.

They are better suited for endurance sports.

This French men's basketball team of 12 players looks almost entirely composed of black athletes, such as Yabusele, Sall, Koulibaly, Francisco...

If the match is France vs. England, fans unfamiliar with the situation might think they are watching the African Cup of Nations.

What about the French men's football team? It’s not uncommon to see matches where out of 11 players on the field, only one or two are white.

These players are not just tanned:

Mbappé's father is from Cameroon, his mother from Algeria; Tchouaméni holds dual nationality with France and Cameroon;Dembélé's father hails from Mali, his mother from Senegal...

Whether basketball or football, French society is experiencing a subtle "blackening" phenomenon.

Why is this happening?

It mainly stems from France's historical colonial ties, immigration policies, and demographic changes.

1. Those familiar with history know France was the world's second-largest colonial empire after Britain, and its African colonies (like Algeria, Senegal, Mali) brought a large influx of immigrants to France.

2. The two World Wars drastically reduced France’s population and caused a severe labor shortage. After the wars, France relaxed immigration policies, leading to a surge of African immigrants filling the workforce gap.

For example, the 1946 French decree granted citizenship to colonial subjects, attracting many black African immigrants.

3. The relaxed naturalization policies after the 1970s (citizenship granted after 5 years of residence) accelerated the integration of African-descended players into professional sports.

4. France promotes multiculturalism.

National youth training centers like Clairefontaine are open to all, and African-descended athletes with outstanding physical talent are more easily selected. Black players’ advantages in speed and explosiveness fit football’s demands well.

5. Looking at birth rates.

In the Paris region, 60% of newborns are black, 25% Arab, and less than 15% white; nationwide, black newborns exceed 60%, with African-descended youth growing fastest.

This structural shift inevitably shows in youth sports like football.

Descendants of African immigrants, due to physical attributes and limited social mobility channels, tend to pursue football or basketball to change their social status.

By succeeding in sports, they transform their destiny.

Finally, a different note.

Although the inclusion of black athletes has certainly brought many honors to French sports, everyone can see the progress in French basketball; the current team ranks much higher globally than in the Parker era.

At the Paris Olympics, they battled the US Dream Team to the very end—if not for the incredible performance of Rudy Gobert...

However...

In recent years, France has experienced frequent social conflicts caused by immigration issues, reflecting deep-rooted demographic tensions.

Immigrant communities tend to concentrate in economically disadvantaged, high-crime suburbs, facing long-term employment discrimination, lack of educational resources, and poor housing conditions...

The government faces a dilemma in managing immigration: on one hand, increasing deportations; on the other, slow progress in integration policies and an underdeveloped multicultural coexistence system.

France’s recent weak economic growth and limited job opportunities put pressure on employment for both native citizens and immigrants.

Core issues like employment discrimination and unequal education persist, with some black immigrants even openly shouting "Whites out of Paris"...

So, it’s important to view the pros and cons correctly.