After backlash for ‘black’ comment on France football team, Amitabh Bachchan says admitting a ‘mistake’ is not wrong

Amitabh Bachchan's comments on France’s national football team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup triggered a backlash online.

A few days ago, a tweet from veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan ignited controversy just as the FIFA World Cup 2026 gains more momentum. After the France national football team advanced in the World Cup by defeating the Paraguay national football team, Big B tweeted, “T 5794 -अब कहे देते हैं : the French WC 2026 football team .. the FRENCH !! 11 players in team .. 10 Black .. !! 1 white !!? the POWER of BLACK.” Users on the platform were taken aback at his comment on the racial makeup of France’s national football team and slammed the actor.

Amitabh Bachchan often takes to his blog to offer his candid comments.

Many accused the actor of reducing the French national team to the skin colour of its players, arguing that footballers ought to be recognised by nationality rather than race. Others called the framing insensitive and unnecessary. After immense backlash, Amitabh seems to have acknowledged his mistake and opened up about how every day is an education in his new blog post.

What Amitabh said

He wrote in the latest post on Tumblr, “Every day is an education .. every day is a fresh and new learning .. every day is cherished for the opportunities it gives to be able to comply with the change and the new. Learning is divine .. what was unknown and left to specialists, is good, one must have the ability to pick up whatever the ones that have the knowledge and experience, convey.. nothing like understanding the self and the meaning of it, it shall ever reflect upon your .. YOUR understanding and reading and your own reckoning.”

He added, "Specialists can make a mistake , find excuses for it and carry on in a repair mode .. but doing it on your own reasoning and personal inputs gives you the hold on what we move on with or at least know that the mistake was ours ... admitting a mistake is not wrong .. it shows character .. once you have admitted it, the burden of its non function is better understood, and all debate on it ends ... there is no harm in getting into an argument and even when the other party is uncompromising, despite your knowing that you are right , the best way to end the debate is to finally tell the other: ‘You know ! you may be right.’

“The ‘other’ feels a conquest achieved .. and you stop wasting time on continued argument, by moving on and using what could have been a time consuming enterprise, to devote to something that you have faith and trust and knowledge of .. it may be wrong, it could be right , but it is YOURS. If it is the 'others’ … tell him so or tell them so .. they are elated .. you are free of any further time consuming arguing exercise,” he concluded.

What's next for Amitabh Bachchan?

On the work front, Amitabh Bachchan is gearing up to return in the sequel to the blockbuster mythological sci-fi film Kalki 2898 AD. Directed by Nag Ashwin, the upcoming film also features Prabhas and Kamal Haasan in key roles. The first part featured Deepika Padukone, who will not return for the sequel.