Kylian Mbappe has been selected as the new captain of France by manager Didier Deschamps ahead of their Euro 2024 qualifiers.
After former skipper Hugo Lloris retired from international football following the 2022 World Cup, Deschamps was tasked with finding a new leader for Les Bleus.
According to ESPN, the manager informed the France squad on Monday evening that Mbappe will get the armband. The Paris Saint-Germain superstar, who scored 36 goals in 66 appearances for his country, was confirmed as the new France captain on Tuesday as Deschamps made his decision public in an interview with Telefoot.
“Kylian Mbappe is the new captain of the Blues. Antoine Griezmann is the vice-captain,” he said. “Kylian meets all the boxes to have this responsibility. On the field as in group life, by being a unifying element.”
Deschamps spoke to Mbappe on Monday at Clairefontaine, the France team training centre, and also had a chat with Antoine Griezmann before confirming his decision to the rest of the squad.
Mbappe has already led France once in a Nations League clash against Denmark last September. He will now become one of the youngest captains in Les Bleus history, with Deschamps confident that the 24-year-old has matured enough to lead the side on the back of his stellar 2022 World Cup performance.
Mbappe’s era as the French national team captain will start on Friday against the Netherlands at the Stade de France in a 2024 European Championship qualifier.