It's all about moi! Twitter mocks French President Macron after he tries to take centre stage at World Cup final – but gets the brush-off from Kylian Mbappe and lukewarm applause from players in toe-curling speech

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Emmanuel Macron has been mocked after he was unable to take a hint and leave French football players alone following their loss to Argentina, with the President accused of being 'utterly desperate' to take centre stage.

Toe-curling footage shows him awkwardly trying to console French football star Kylian Mbappe on the pitch after France's 4-2 penalty shootout loss to Lionel Messi's team - only for the player to brush off the leader's attempts.

During the awards ceremony, Macron, who was handing out medals to the dejected French players, tried again to hug Mbappe but he refused to make eye contact with the President and quickly moved away to shake another official's hand - prompting rival French politicians to label the leader's actions as 'disturbing'. 

In further embarrassing footage, the premier also attempted to hug Aurélien Tchouaméni, who failed to score in the penalty shootout, during the awards ceremony. Tchouaméni was stone-faced and appeared to be trying to move away from the President's grasp. 

Macron continued his attempts to ingratiate himself later, trying to deliver an inspiring speech to the defeated team in their locker room. But the players, many of whom did not look at Macron, did not appear to be impressed and only gave him a lukewarm round of applause once he had finished. 

During the awards ceremony, Macron, who was handing out medals to the dejected French players, tried again to hug Mbappe but he refused to make eye contact with the President and quickly moved away to shake another official's hand

In further embarrassing footage, Macron tried to hug Aurélien Tchouaméni, who failed to score in the penalty shootout, during the awards ceremony. Tchouaméni was stone-faced and appeared to be trying to move away from the President's grasp

Macron continued his toe-curling later, with the French leader trying to deliver an inspiring speech to the defeated team in their locker room. But the players, many of whom did not look at Macron, did not appear to be impressed and only gave him a lukewarm round of applause

'You're an amazing team,' Macron told the players, pounding his fist in his hand for effect in a video posted on his social media channel. 'No other team would have got here and come back on two occasions and being so close to winning it.

'You had the heart, the hunger, the desire and the talent to get here and that's why I wanted to come and say thank you,' he added. 

He continued: 'In any case, I am proud of you. Long live the Republic and long live France.' 

At the end of the speech, Macron went to hug Didier Deschamps, nearly poking him in the eye in the process, but the French manager stood rigidly and smiled awkwardly during the exchange. 

Earlier, Macron interrupted an emotional moment between Mbappe, who scored a hat trick in the match, and Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez on the pitch. 

Martinez had crouched down to console Mbappe, who was sitting on the ground following France's defeat, but Macron bounded up to them and put his hands on the striker's head. 

As Martinez pulled Mbappe up from the ground and the pair shook hands, Macron was seen grasping at the player's arm and holding on while trying to speak to him. 

Macron talked animatedly to the distraught player who showed little inclination to exchange pleasantries with the head of state on the pitch and barely acknowledged him.

Mbappe refused to make eye contact with the President, with Twitter users saying the players showed their 'disdain' for Macron. 

'It was a bit disturbing to see him stuck like glue to Mbappe,' the far right opposition MP Sebastien Chenu told the LCI channel. 

Mbappe, who is from the impoverished are of Seine-Saint-Denis where Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen are unpopular, raised eyebrows this year after he failed to endorse the president during this year's presidential election. 

When prominent figures from France's sporting sphere signed a declaration calling for French voters to vote for Macron.

Earlier, Macron interrupted an emotional moment between Mbappe and Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. Martinez had crouched down to console Mbappe, who was sitting on the pitch following France's defeat, but the President bounded up to them and put his hands on the striker's head

As Martinez pulled Mbappe up from the ground and the pair shook hands, Macron was seen grasping the French player's arm and holding on  while trying to speak to him

Football fans mocked Macron for his attempt at trying to take centre stage at the World Cup final. 

One wrote on Twitter: 'Macron is utterly desperate for a reaction from Mbappe but in three major efforts, the striker gives him no eye contact, and no photo opportunity.'

Another said: 'Messi deserved to win but Mbappe didn't deserve to lose. He almost single-handedly took France to the edge of victory. And in his complete disdain for the dictator-loving @EmmanuelMacron, he shows that he's the king even after the final whistle.' 

The famously tactile leader also stood next to the emir of Qatar in the line of VIPs as they handed over awards and medals to the players in the closing ceremony.

During the awards ceremony, Mpabbe was seen pulling away from Macron's desperate attempts to console and hug him. He then tried to take his medal from the President's hands rather than letting Macron put it around his neck. 

'Mbappe pulling away from Macron as he tried to console him and then trying to take the medal from his hands rather than allowing Macron to put it on him is a vibe,' Dr Yara Hawari, a policy analyst at the Palestinian Policy Network, tweeted.

During the gripping World Cup final, Macron put on an enthusiastic display, leaping up and pumping his fists each time France scored

Football fans also mocked Macron's attempt at an inspiring locker room speech, with one tweeting: 'Before Macron leaves the president house after losing the next election, each of these players should deliver him a pep talk in his personal chamber as return gift.' 

During the gripping World Cup final, Macron put on an enthusiastic display, leaping up and pumping his fists each time France scored.

'We must not politicise sport,' the incoming leader of the ultra-left France Unbowed party Manuel Bompard, wrote ironically on Twitter, using a phrase used by the president himself on November 11.

Macron had made the comments about the World Cup when asked about Qatar hosting the competition despite its human rights record.

'Macron did he go over the top?' asked the BFM news channel, adding he had acted like France's '12th man' throughout the evening.

Macron is a passionate follower of the national team who also made headlines in 2018 leaping to his feet in the stands as France won the World Cup in Russia.

'The president is not on the pitch,' read a commentary in the SoFoot.com website under the headline 'Macron, miles offside'.

'His role and position should not be seen like this, at these sort of moments which, whether tragic or glorious, belong only to the players and maybe to the staff,' it added.

The president also travelled to Qatar to watch France beat Morocco in the semi-final on Wednesday, after which he made another changing-room appearance.

As the team travelled back to Paris on Monday, the president travelled to the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is anchored off the coast of Egypt, for the traditional Christmas meal with French troops.

Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera told France Inter radio he would formally congratulate the players in the New Year.