Mbappe new France captain as Deschamps puts trust in striker

Kylian Mbappe will be the new captain of France after getting the nod from Didier Deschamps, reports said on Tuesday.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward was the outstanding candidate to replace Hugo Lloris, who retired after the World Cup.

Mbappe is said to have been told of his appointment by coach Deschamps after a dinner on Monday, with Antoine Griezmann to be vice-captain.

The French Football Federation did not immediately confirm the news, but the secret appears to be out.

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.

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.