Kylian Mbappe has set high standards of achievement with France, and now he has taken over captaincy duties from the retired Hugo Lloris.
Didier Deschamps backed Kylian Mbappe to bring a “unifying” influence to his new role as captain of France.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker was an excellent candidate to replace Hugo Lloris, who retired from international duty after the World Cup.
Mbappe was reportedly informed of his appointment by coach Deschamps after dinner on Monday and Antoine Griezmann was confirmed as vice-captain.
Reports said Griezmann, who turned 32 on Tuesday, was disappointed not to be handed the captaincy, having been a mainstay of the team for many years.
However, Mbappe himself is richly experienced on the international stage after making his debut six years ago as an 18-year-old. He scored 36 goals in 66 matches.
Twelve of those goals came at World Cups, with Mbappe helping France win the 2018 tournament before finishing as runners-up at Qatar 2022, where he won the Golden Boot.
Deschamps told French broadcaster TF1: “Kylian Mbappe is the new captain of Les Blues. Antoine Griezmann is the vice-captain.
“Kylian ticks all the boxes to have that responsibility. On the field and in group life by being the unifying element.”
Mbappe will lead the team into their Euro 2024 qualifiers, which begin against the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland this fortnight.
His first game as captain will be against the Dutch at the Stade de France on Friday.
The French team gathered at the Clairefontaine training base on Monday. They trained on Tuesday knowing that the crucial question of who could be the captain had been settled.
