Kylian Mbappe named as the new France captain

• The France national team head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed his new captain
• Deschamps has confirmed PSG forward Kylian Mbappe as the new captain of France national team
• Mbappe takes over from goalkeeper Hugo Lloris who retired after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

PSG striker Kylian Mbappe has been appointed France captain, succeeding the recently retired goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Lloris announced his intention to retire from international duty soon after the 2022 World Cup, leaving Didier Deschamps to select a new captain for this month’s games against the Netherlands and Ireland and beyond.

Despite Deschamps’ previous dismissal of suggestions that the PSG forward had already been given the armband, Mbappe has been given the position. Antoine Griezmann of Atletico Madrid has been elevated to vice-captain.

“Kylian Mbappe is the new captain of Les Bleus,” Deschamps told Telefoot.

“Antoine Griezmann is the vice-captain. Kylian meets all the boxes to have this responsibility. On the field as in group life, by being a unifying element.”

Kylian Mbappe has taken over the captaincy of the France national team at the age of 24, confirmed by head coach Didier Deschamps. | PHOTO: FFF |

Which PSG players have captained France team before?

Mbappe has never captained France in his 66 appearances, but he will now become the seventh PSG player to do so.

The most recent PSG player to lead France was Presnel Kimpembe. Going back in time, Blaise Matuidi wore the armband on several occasions over several years, and four separate players received the honor in the mid-1990s: Vincent Guerin, Bernard Lama, Alain Roche, and Paul Le Guen.

READ: Mbappe’s current PSG contract earning him $619 million

It was goalie Joel Bats in the late 1980s. Between 1970 and 1972, Jean Djorkaeff, father of future World Cup winner Youri, was the first PSG player to represent France.

Kylian Mbappe will be the sixth PSG player in history to captain the France national team as he has taken over the captaincy role from retired Hugo Lloris. | PHOTO: CNN |

Kylian Mbappe captaincy compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Mbappe turned 24 in December and was named skipper of France three months later. Lionel Messi was also 24 when he was named Argentina’s permanent skipper in the summer of 2011. Cristiano Ronaldo was 23 years old when he was appointed skipper of Portugal in 2008.

Mbappe’s first match as the captain will come on Friday, March 24 2023 when France host Netherlands at the Stade de France in the 2024 Euro qualifiers. Les Blues will then head to Dublin to take on Ireland at the Aviva Stadium ahead of the summer break.