'Meets all the boxes' - Fans exhilarated after Kylian Mbappe is announced new France captain

France will take on Netherlands and Ireland in the 2024 UEFA Euro Qualifiers this week. Meanwhile, The Blues have appointed a new skipper, Kylian Mbappe, and the news exhilarates fans.

Ayush Gupta

First Published Mar 22, 2023, 11:59 AM IST | Last Updated Mar 22, 2023, 11:59 AM IST

Former world champion France will soon begin his next quest as it engages in the UEFA Euro 2023 Qualifiers, taking on Netherlands and Ireland in its opening fixtures. Ahead of the same, Les Blues have a new skipper, and he happens to be none other than its superstar striker Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe will replace Hugo Lloris, who ended his international career after the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, where his side finished as the runner-up, while he had led the side for ten years. Besides, midfielder Antoine Griezmann, who plays for Atletico Madrid, has been promoted to the role of the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star's deputy.

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Talking to Telefoot, French head coach Didier Deschamps reported, "Kylian Mbappe is the new captain of Les Bleus. 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." The announcement comes despite him having previously turned down reports of handing the armband to the 24-year-old.

In the meantime, Mbappe will be the 66th player to lead France, besides being the ninth from the Parisians to don the armband. The last player from PSG to captain Les Blues was Presnel Kimpembe, while the first star from Paris to lead the side was Jean Djorkaeff. Meanwhile, fans are exhilarated to have him as the new dressing room leader.

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Comparing Mbappe's captaincy to that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, he has earned the armband at 24, the same age his PSG teammate and the World Cup-winning Argentine superstar received it in 2011. However, the Portuguese sensation got it a year before, at 23, in 2008.

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