France: Following Hugo Lloris’ retirement, Didier Deschamps has appointed Kylian Mbappe as France’s new captain.
As his country’s 2024 European Championship qualifying campaign gets underway this week, Mbappe, 24, will carry the armband. The Tottenham goalie, who announced his retirement from international football following their World Cup final loss to Argentina, is succeeded by the star goalkeeper of Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe will wear the captain’s armband when his nation’s qualifying campaign for the 2024 European Championships gets underway this week. Following their World Cup final loss to Argentina, the Tottenham goalie declared his retirement from international football. The great goalkeeper for Paris Saint-Germain now takes his place.
Deschamps, who in January 2023 agreed to a new three-and-a-half-year contract with the French Football Federation, chose Mbappe over more seasoned prospects Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann. Le Figaro reports that Griezmann, who has been an ever-present for the past 73 international matches under Deschamps, was devastated to hear the news and is reportedly considering his future in the international arena.
Go no further than his spectacular hat-trick in the World Cup final in December to see how Mbappe has already proven his capacity to lead France on the field. Despite his youth, Mbappe is also regarded as a major member of the team’s locker room. The 24-year-old played a significant part in resolving an image rights issue that had threatened to derail the French camp before Les Blues began their campaign in Qatar. Although they eventually reached a second consecutive final, they were unable to defend their title as world champions.
Senior players supported Mbappe’s decision to decline sponsor-related activities during the international window in September. The PSG forward was under contract to promote certain brands, such as fast food restaurants and gambling establishments, but he didn’t want to.
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