Kylian Mbappe will take over as France’s captain after receiving Didier Deschamps’ approval, according to reports on Tuesday.
Hugo Lloris, who retired after the World Cup, was replaced by the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who was the best candidate.
Antoine Griezmann will serve as vice-captain, and it is reported that Mbappe was informed of his selection by coach Deschamps after dinner on Monday.
The French Football Federation didn’t immediately confirm the reports, but it seems that the information is public.
Man on a mission @KMbappe 🫡 pic.twitter.com/ExU1weoBGr
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) March 21, 2023
The appointment means Mbappe will lead the team into their Euro 2024 qualifiers, which start against the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland this fortnight.
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His first game as skipper will be against the Dutch on Friday at the Stade de France.
The 24-year-old has been a member of the national team since his teens, making his debut as an 18-year-old against Luxembourg, and has earned 66 caps, scoring 36 goals.
Former Monaco player Mbappe was a World Cup winner in 2018, and from a small field of potential candidates for the captaincy he stood out a mile.
Long-standing skipper Lloris stepped down from national team duty after France lost to Argentina in the World Cup final, when Mbappe’s hat-trick was not enough to stave off a defeat on penalties.
France’s squad gathered at their Clairefontaine training base on Monday ahead of the European qualifying double-header, their first gathering since returning from the Qatar 2022 near-miss.