Kylian Mbappe appointed as new French captain
French head coach Didier Deschamps has nominated Kylian Mbappe as captain of France’s national team moving forward.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward, arguably one of the best footballers on the planet at present, is set to take over from Hugo Lloris. Antoine Griezmann, 32, has been announced as the vice-captain.
The official confirmation has finally arrived, weeks after Lloris decided to retire from international football. A World Cup-winning skipper, Lloris amassed a record 145 caps for France, leading them on 121 occasions.
“There comes a time when you have to know how to hand over the reins. I have always said over and over again that the French team doesn’t belong to anyone, and we all have to make sure that’s the case, me first,” said the Tottenham Hotspur custodian, as he decided to close the curtains on a remarkable international career.
Lloris and co. finished the FIFA World Cup 2022 as runners up, losing to Argentina on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw over 120 minutes.
Mbappe overcame the heat of the occasion, just as he did as a teenager throughout the 2018 World Cup, to net a sensational hattrick in the final.
A few months later, ahead of their UEFA Euro Qualifiers against Netherlands, Mbappe will be leading the Les Blues out from the front, donning the captain’s armband.
As the international break kicks off, Deschamps, who led France himself 52 times, disclosed “Kylian Mbappé is the new France captain. Antoine Griezmann is the vice-captain. Kylian ticks all the boxes to have this responsibility. On the pitch as well as within the squad, by being a key element.”
Mbappe is a superstar of the game at the tender age of 24, with 66 caps, 36 goals and two trophies under his belt already. While there are absolutely no doubts over his superlative abilities as a technician, being a leader will challenge the striker to a new dimension in his career.
The Stade de France will witness the return of the national side as they host Netherlands on March 24th. The other teams in France’s group are Gibraltar, Greece, and Ireland.
-Akarshak Roy
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
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