“Disgusted but not surprised” - Lewis Hamilton offers support to 2 France stars who were racially abused after 2022 FIFA World Cup final

Formula 1 great Lewis Hamilton has offered his support to France's Aurelien Tchouameni and Randal Kolo Muani following the racial abuse they faced. This comes after their defeat in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina on December 18.

Hamilton took to his social media to show solidarity towards the French duo. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion stated that he was not surprised by the response the French players received following a defeat in the World Cup final.

Hamilton wrote the following on his Instagram story (via Madrid Zone on Twitter):

"Disgusted but not surprised. Tchouameni and Kolo Muani gave it everything. They're heroes to so many and deserve nothing but respect."

Hamilton's Instagram story can be seen below:

Both Tchouameni and Kolo Muani did have disappointing ends to their otherwise excellent 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign. Tchouameni missed his penalty during the shootout which saw France lose 4-2 following an entertaining 3-3 draw after extra time.

Kolo Muani, meanwhile, did score his penalty during the shootout. The Eintracht Frankfurt forward, however, missed a brilliant one-on-one chance in the last minute of extra time. Had he scored, it could have won France their second consecutive World Cup title.

According to the Daily Mail, both Tchouameni and Kolo Muani along with Kingsley Coman were subject to racial abuse on social media. The French trio received banana and monkey emojis on their social media following the FIFA World Cup final.

According to the aforementioned source, Kolo Muani has turned off comments on his Instagram profile while Tchouameni has limited the comments on his page.

It is worth mentioning that Hamilton has been quite outspoken regarding issues relating to racism and LGBTQ rights. The Mercedes driver has previously worn anti-racism shirts before the start of Formula 1 races.

---

France could have become the first nation in 60 years to retain the FIFA World Cup

France were on course to create history when they faced Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday (December 18). Didier Deschamps' side could have become the first nation to retain their World Cup title since Brazil all the way back in 1962.

France, however, suffered a second World Cup final defeat on penalties in the 21st century. They previously lost out to Italy on penalties during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Argentina, on the other hand, won their third FIFA World Cup and their first title since 1986.