According to L’Équipe, Kylian Mbappé (24) has been selected by Didier Deschamps to be Les Bleus captain, following Hugo Lloris’s international retirement. The Bondy native has been chosen over Antoine Griezmann for the role.
In February, Get French Football News reported that Mbappé was in line to take the armband as the leading candidate at just the age of 24. This came in the wake of a wave of player retirements – including Steve Mandanda (37), Karim Benzema (34), and then from vice-captain Raphaël Varane (29) which has all but left Mbappé and Griezmann as the two candidates for vacant captain spot.
Hugo Lloris backed Mbappé to succeed him as captain on Sunday whilst speaking to Téléfoot. The Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper announced his retirement from the national side following France’s defeat in the World Cup final to Argentina in December.
Didier Deschamps today said that he would hold discussions with Mbappé about the France captaincy, with the decisions expected to be officially announced on Thursday.
GFFN | George Boxall