In a significant development for French football, Kylian Mbappe has been appointed as the new captain of the national team.

The 24-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward accepted the offer after discussions with coach Didier Deschamps on Monday. Mbappe succeeds Hugo Lloris, who retired from international football in January after more than a decade as captain. 

The Atletico Madrid attacker Antoine Griezmann has been named vice-captain, while Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane also hung up his boots after the defeat to Argentina in December.

Mbappe’s appointment as captain comes after weeks of speculation. Some would regard his appointment as a disrespect to several veterans in the squad like Olivier Giroud, and Griezmann but it is what it is.

He has already played 66 times for France and was instrumental in helping them win the World Cup in 2018.

Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the final loss against Croatia and has been in exceptional form for PSG this season. He is the vice-captain of PSG, and on Sunday he led the team in the absence of Marquinhos.

Mbappe’s first game as captain will be the Euro 2024 qualifier against the Netherlands at the Stade de France on Friday. 

The fans will be looking forward to seeing how the young forward takes on the new responsibility and leads the team to victory. 

Mbappe’s appointment as captain is undoubtedly a massive boost for the national team and will inspire his teammates to perform at their best. The world will be watching to see how France fares under their new captain’s leadership.