Didier Deschamps informed the France squad on Monday evening that Kylian Mbappe will be the new Bleus‘ captain, sources told ESPN.
The Paris Saint-Germain star is taking over the captaincy of Hugo Lloris who retired from international football after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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Deschamps had a discussion with Mbappe on Monday at Clairefontaine, the France team training center. He also spoke with Antoine Griezmann, who was the other candidate for the armband. The French head coach had made his mind up already and announced the news to his squad on Monday evening.
Mbappe, 24, will become one of the youngest France captains ever and will follow in Lloris’ steps who kept the armband for 14 years, from 2008 to 2022. Griezmann (117 caps, 42 goals) will be his vice-captain.
Deschamps said during his press conference on Monday that the main quality in his choice was “legitimacy” and that “the common interest will prevail.” Deschamps stated that he could feel that Mbappe has stepped up in his leadership since the World Cup.
Mbappe, who already worn the France armband once, halfway through the game against Denmark back in September, will start his new captaincy era on Friday against the Netherlands at the Stade de France in a qualifying match for the 2024 Euros. They then visit Ireland in Dublin three days later.
He has 66 caps and scored 36 goals for France.
Kylian Mbappe will reportedly take over the France captaincy after allegedly being chosen by Les Blues manager Didier Deschamps.
France are currently without a captain after Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris announced he was retiring from international duties in January after December’s World Cup final defeat to Argentina, leaving the number one spot and captain’s armband up for grabs.
But after careful consideration of the nation’s remaining stars, decision-maker Deschamps has chosen Mbappe to take on the huge responsibility, according to French outlet L’Equipe.
Mbappe joined his France teammates at their headquarters in Clairefontaine on Sunday ahead of upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against the Netherlands and Ireland.
The 24-year-old has cemented his status as one of the best players in world football after his stunning goalscoring exploits for France saw the nation win the 2018 World Cup and almost follow-up it up with a second world title in Qatar last year.
Kylian Mbappe is reportedly set to be named the new France national team captain
Mbappe’s future at Paris Saint-Germain may be up in the air but that hasn’t stopped Deschamps from looking to the youthful attacker to lead the country into a new era of success.
A string of international retirements saw Manchester United’s Raphael Varane, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, and 37-year-old Steve Mandanda join Lloris in calling it a day on their France careers after their World Cup disappointment.
That left Deschamps with an apparent decision of choosing between Mbappe or fellow frontman Antoine Griezmann, with the former getting the nod from the France manager.
Discussions between Deschamps and Mbappe are supposedly taking place before an official announcement is set for Thursday.
Mbappe would join Norway’s 24-year-old Martin Odegaard in becoming one of the youngest captains in Europe but would likely take the armband without a second thought after his brilliant performances at both club and international level.
France national team coach Didier Deschamps (right) shares a strong relationship with Mbappe (left)
The superstar striker has scored a total of 36 goals in 66 international appearances and has been named France’s best player of the season on four separate occasions.
However, his attitude has at times been questioned at club level for Paris Saint-Germain where Mbappe has previously refused to hide his frustrations, although for France he is recognised as a key leader in the dressing room.
Meanwhile, Mike Maignan will be France’s number one goalkeeper, coach Didier Deschamps said on Monday.
‘The number one keeper will be Mike Maignan. I’ll have a chat with him. There will be a pecking order,’ said Deschamps, who also called up West Ham shot-stopper Alphonse Areola and former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba.
Source: espn.co.uk, dailymail.co.uk
