10th January, 2023
Kylian Mbappe will be taking on “a huge responsibility” if he becomes the new France captain now, after Hugo Lloris retired from international football.
That is the verdict of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) head coach Christophe Galtier, who steered clear of either recommending the role to Mbappe or putting any pressure on national coach Didier Deschamps.
At the age of 24, Mbappe has already won 66 caps for Les Bleus, scoring 36 goals in the process.
He won the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and scored a hat-trick against Argentina in the 2022 final in Qatar, but he painfully finished on the losing team.
PSG striker Mbappe appears an obvious candidate, but he may not aspire to the captaincy, which Lloris held for 10 years.
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane is another strong contender for the role, according to reports in France, having served as vice-captain at the Qatar World Cup.
Galtier said on Tuesday: “I’m not the national team coach. I’m not going to get involved in the France captain discussion.
“Sometimes, the France captain is of a certain age with a certain number of caps.
“Kylian Mbappe has got many under his belt and many incredible performances. I haven’t spoken to Kylian Mbappe about whether he will be the France captain or not.
“Of course, that is a huge responsibility. It is not me who will decide who the captain will be. Even without the armband, he is a leader.”