Mbappé named France’s new captain

PARIS (AP):

World Cup top scorer Kylian Mbappe was named as France's new captain on Tuesday, succeeding goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

France coach Didier Deschamps made the announcement in a short video clip which is set to be aired on football show Telefoot.

"It will be Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann will be vice-captain. Kylian ticks all the boxes to take on this responsibility, given what he does and will continue to do on the field," Deschamps told Telefoot. "And because he's a unifying link between the youngest, the not so young and the oldest players. That's why I made this choice but it's not to the detriment of Antoine, because Antoine will also have an important responsibility."

Griezmann, who turned 32 yesterday, has played 117 games for France and the forward is regarded as being very close to Deschamps.

The 24-year-old Mbappe will captain France against the Netherlands at Stade de France on Friday when qualifying starts for next year's European Championship. France then play Ireland in Dublin on Monday.

Mbappe scored eight goals at last year's World Cup in Qatar, where he became only the second player to score a hat-trick in the final, taking his tally to 36 goals in 66 matches for Les Bleus of which 12 have been scored in World Cups. France lost on penalty kicks to Lionel Messi's Argentina in Qatar following a wild 3-3 draw.

This season, Mbappe became French champions Paris Saint-Germain's all-time leading scorer after overtaking Edinson Cavani and has 202 goals for the club in 250 games.

Lloris and central defender Raphael Varane, who won the 2018 World Cup alongside Mbappe, announced their retirements from international play after France lost the 2022 final.