Compatible

"A French team with no French players." Really?

Let me introduce Mr Rajoy to what it actually means to be French. Or more broadly, what it means to carry a multicultural identity, and often multiple passports, like I do.

Lamine Yamal: Moroccan father, Equatoguinean mother, born in Spain. He chose Spain.
Brahim Díaz: Spanish mother, Moroccan father, born in Málaga. He chose Morocco.
Michael Olise: French-Algerian mother, Nigerian-British father, born and raised in London. He chose France.
Robin Le Normand: born and raised in France, decided to play for Spain.

None of them renounced anything. Yamal still wears Morocco and Equatorial Guinea on his boots. Olise says he carries "little things from each country" inside him.

So are they French, Spanish, English, Moroccan... or none of it?

Wrong question.

Choosing a team, a passport, a country to build your life in isn't erasing the rest of who you are.

The other roots don't suddenly die. They just stop being the ones you're standing on.

I know this from the inside. Born in France to Moroccan parents.

French is my education, my language, my humour, my culture. Moroccan is the language spoken by my parents, the food, the family, everything I lived at home. British is what I call home now. I've lived in the UK for fifteen years, by choice, and I'd do it again.

That's what people like Lamine Yamal, Michael Olise, or me, actually are: chameleons that change colour but stay the same animal underneath.

What does that mean in practice? It means I've stopped trying to pick one. I just am all of it.

It also means that when Morocco played France this World Cup, I knew I'd be happy for one and sad for the other, at the exact same time.

Contradiction? No. That's what it feels like to be built from more than one place.

Anyone else know that exact feeling?

So Rajoy, and everyone still counting who's "really" French, English, or Spanish by the sound of a name or a skin colour: you're measuring the wrong thing. Identity is not something visible to the naked eye, it’s something you experience.

No commentator can see that. So no commentator gets to rule on it.

Read the end of the post in the comment box below 👇🏼

And finally England! Emotion, but coded

And then, England beat Mexico 3–2 at the Azteca in one of the games of the tournament. And what did the stadium — and later Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham themselves — do? They belted out Oasis' Wonderwall.

This England plays a football that is unmistakably English in its DNA: direct, vertical, high-intensity, and refreshingly free of overthinking. Where the French pass to build a system and the Moroccans pass to protect the collective, the English pass to get forward. Fast transitions, balls into the channels, crosses into the box, and a striker — Harry Kane — whose job is to be exactly where the ball ends up.

There's a cultural logic to this. English football has never fully trusted the slow, cerebral, possession-based approach — its pragmatic, get-it-forward instinct runs deep. Against Mexico, this is exactly what unlocked the game: three goals, all built on speed and directness, none on patient build-up.

English emotion is real, but it is coded and contained. It doesn't spill out through the body (the Moroccan kiss to the mother, the Latin sign of the cross). It comes out through collective ritual — a shared song, a chant, a pub singalong, a queue for the trophy parade.

That's why Wonderwall is such a revealing choice. It's a wistful, melancholic ballad that everyone in the country knows by heart. It gives the English permission to feel something together, without any individual having to be the one to break down. In a culture where emotions aren't easy to read through body language and facial expression, singing in unison to a Britpop tune does the job.

The English don't celebrate like the French (for the Republic) or the Moroccans (family-first). They celebrate like people at a pub after closing time — arms around strangers, singing off-key, believing.

The national motto — Dieu et mon droit, written in Norman French on the Royal Coat of Arms since the 12th century — captures the paradox neatly. There is a nod to God, yes, but the real emphasis is on my right: the individual, the rule of law, the sovereignty of the person.

END OF THE POST IN COMMENT 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

As per my previous post, now let's look at French cultural way of playing football ⚽️

France: system, structure, and the state

France plays the way France works. Didier Deschamps' side ground out a 1–0 win over Paraguay in Philadelphia's suffocating heat on Saturday — not with flair, but with structure, patience and a single Mbappé penalty.
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité is not just a slogan; it's an operating system. France produces footballers the same way it produces senior civil servants — through Clairefontaine, the national academy that is the sporting equivalent of the elite grandes écoles (think of it as the Oxford or Cambridge of football).

Players are drilled into a rational, geometric collective — and only then are the stars allowed to express themselves within it. Liberty, yes, but inside the system. Equality, yes, but the coach's word is final. And there you find superstars like Mbappé, Dembélé and Saliba.

Notice what is missing when a French player scores: rarely a look to the sky, rarely a religious gesture. France is arguably the most secular of the three cultures we're looking at, and it shows. The reference point for French players is not God, and not (usually) family — it's the système, the pride of wearing the blue shirt, the Republic.

In Trompenaars' terms, the French national team plays a distinctly universalist, specific game: rules and roles come before individual improvisation, with every player operating in a clearly bounded compartment inside Deschamps' disciplined structure.

What makes this fascinating is the paradox underneath it — France's national culture actually leans particularist and communitarian, so the team's on-pitch identity isn't a reflection of the culture but a system deliberately engineered to impose structure and control onto a squad of individualists.

Strength: unshakeable in adversity, tactically literate, mentally tough.

Weakness: when the plan is disrupted early, French sides can look shaky — the 2010 and 2022 aftermaths were as much cultural events as sporting ones. Freedom without the structure to hold it can tip into internal revolt.

Allez les Bleus !

Something rare happened this weekend. The three national teams I support most — and whose passports I carry — France, Morocco and England — all made it to the quarter-finals of the World Cup 2026!

As a French-Moroccan-British intercultural consultant, allow me a small indulgence: I want to look at these three teams not just as football, but as living case studies in cultural identity — and what they can teach us.

There is no better laboratory of pressure than a World Cup knockout round to reveal a national team's character.

Let's start with MOROCCO

A country's national motto is often the shortest cultural summary you'll ever find.

Morocco: Allah, Al Watan, Al Malik — "God, Homeland, King"

Family, Faith, and the Collective

Watch what happens the moment the whistle blows on a Morocco win. After beating the Netherlands on penalties in Monterrey, Ismael Saibari ran into the stands to hug his mother. We saw the same scenes in 2022, with Achraf Hakimi kissing his mother's forehead after the penalty shoot-out win against Spain, or Sofiane Boufal dancing with his mother on the pitch following their win against Portugal.

The concept that captures it best is a Moroccan Arabic one: rdat lwalidin, the sacred blessing of parents. No individual glory is complete without the mother's kiss.
Family values — especially the utmost love and respect for the mother, considered a queen at the top of the family pyramid in Moroccan culture — show up on the pitch. Which means that if you do business with Moroccans, it's always good not to crack jokes about motherhood, and instead to enquire about family wellness.

Morocco scores low on individualism and is a collectivist culture, with a high degree of respect for hierarchy. On the pitch, this translates into a united block that functions as one organism.

The 3–0 dismantling of Canada last weekend was a masterclass in collective discipline, with every Lion of the Atlas covering for the next. I even heard the comparison to a Swiss army knife: one tool that must serve multiple purposes. It may also explain why there is no superstar striker of the calibre of Kylian Mbappé or Harry Kane. The group comes first, individuality after.

Something rare happened this weekend.

The three national teams I love most — and whose passports I carry — France, Morocco and England — all made it to the World Cup quarter-finals.

As a French-Moroccan-British intercultural consultant, I couldn't script a better week.

So I wrote about what each team's playing style reveals about its culture — the Moroccan kiss to the mother, the French système, the English Wonderwall singalong — and what leaders can learn from all three.

Read the next three posts to learn more 😉👉🏼

Have you ever noticed how people can face the same problem and yet focus on completely different priorities?

Everyone agrees that a rescue plan is needed.

Yet each person approaches the challenge through a different lens.

One prioritises speed and action.
Another prioritises risk assessment.
Another seeks alignment and consensus.
Another focuses on in-depth analysis.
Another asks whether the resources are available.

Research on cultural differences suggests that our cultural backgrounds shape how we view and assess situations and determine what deserves our attention first.

That's why developing a global mindset—the capacity to put yourself in someone else's cultural shoes and understand how they think and act—is essential. It enables us to move beyond our own assumptions and appreciate the logic behind perspectives that may initially seem unfamiliar.

What priority would your attention go to first?

I'm French, so I definitely need to understand the implications first.

Next week, I’ll be speaking to Recursos Humanos para la excelencia, a Colombian HR community with a reach across Latin America.

Sorry, Angélica Bayona Álvarez and Sebastián Henao - this one won’t be in Spanish. It’s been a while since I’ve practiced enough to deliver a full session confidently. But I’m sure we can do the Q&A session in Spanish.

Maybe that makes the topic even more relevant. In a way, it will be a good test of my own cultural competence - how clearly and thoughtfully, I communicate with a Latin American audience.

This session is about the factors that most often get in the way of leading global organisations well, based on research I conducted last year with 25+ senior leaders and professionals.

We’ll explore five areas: Communication, Trust, Inclusion, Leadership and Systems.

If your work spans countries, languages, or cultures, this conversation is for you.

Friday, July 3 | 11:00 AM Colombia | 5:00 PM UK (BST)

Link to register in comment.

What creates the most friction in your team right now?

latinamerica

Today is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development — which feels particularly meaningful after delivering my first webinar yesterday on the findings from the research I conducted last year with more than 25 leaders and senior professionals working across global organisations, including some of the largest companies by capitalization in the world.

And if there is one slide that captures the essence of the research, it is probably the one below.

Throughout the interviews, five dynamics consistently emerged as playing a critical role in whether cross-cultural collaboration succeeds or breaks down:

Communication.
Trust.
Inclusion.
Leadership.
Systems.

Get these right and I believe organisations are on the right path to building high-performing teams across borders — moving from friction and cost to competitive advantage.

In other words:
Think global. Adapt and act local.

I’ll be sharing more insights from the research over the coming weeks — and holding another webinar next month. Stay tuned.

Last week was the presidential election at my public speaking club and guess what?

I’m incredibly honoured and grateful to have been elected President!

Nine years ago, I first walked into this club as someone who was deeply afraid of public speaking and struggling with social anxiety. Like many people, speaking in front of others can feel terrifying!

What I found at my club was far more than a public speaking. I found a safe, supportive and encouraging community that helped me grow enormously — not only as a speaker, but also as a person.

Over the years, I have grown in confidence, developed through leadership roles within the club, and experienced countless moments of learning.

And perhaps most importantly, along the way, I have made lifelong friends!

I feel both honoured and humbled to continue to give back as much — if not more — than what I have received over the past nine years.












#𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 #𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 #𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 #𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 #𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆

This week is special, with several international cultural and religious events happening at the same time! The diversity of our world never ceases to fascinate me.

Yesterday, the Lunar New Year welcomed the Fire Horse 🧧 Today, Ramadan 🌙 and Lent ✝ begin

Chinese (Lunar) New Year marks the start of the lunar calendar. 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, symbolising energy, courage, and a strong will — a year for bold action and transformation.

Ramadan is the holiest month in Islam. Many Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, but it’s also a time for generosity, self-reflection, and spiritual connection.

Lent lasts 40 days before Easter. Rooted in Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, it’s a period of prayer, fasting, and reflection, helping Christians reconnect with their values.

We’re not talking small numbers: over 2 billion celebrate Chinese New Year, roughly 2 billion observe Ramadan, and close to 1 billion observe Lent. These are major rhythms of life for a huge part of the world — and in a global workplace, they should be normalised and respected.

Practical tips for teams:
• Awareness: Share short guides on these observances.
• Flexibility: Adjust hours or meetings for fasting, reflection, or family time.
• Open dialogue: Invite colleagues to share and educate teammates about their traditions.

This week is a beautiful reminder of the cultural richness around us!

🧧 Happy New Year — may the Fire Horse bring you energy, courage, and transformation.
🌙 Ramadan Mubarak!
✝ Happy Lent!