March 21, (THEWILL) – Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe has been named the new captain of the France national team, taking over from the recently retired Hugo Lloris.
The Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper had been the captain for 10 years, but decided to retire from international football after the 2022 World Cup. This month’s games against Netherlands and Ireland will see Mbappe lead the team, with Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann taking over as vice-captain.
Despite France manager Didier Deschamps playing down earlier suggestions that Mbappe was set to take over the captaincy, the 23-year-old forward has now been handed the responsibility. With 66 caps to his name, Mbappe has never captained France before, but Deschamps believes he has what it takes to be a “unifying element” on and off the field.
Mbappe will become the ninth PSG player to captain Les Bleus, following in the footsteps of players such as Presnel Kimpembe and Blaise Matuidi. The first ever PSG player to captain France was Jean Djorkaeff, father of future World Cup winner Youri, back in 1970-1972.
With Mbappe now leading the way, France will be looking to build on their recent performances and challenge for honours at upcoming international tournaments.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
