Kylian Mbappe Named Captain of France Under Zidane

Zinedine Zidane has wasted no time putting his stamp on France. On Friday, the new national team coach confirmed what many expected: Kylian Mbappe will captain Les Bleus.

The Real Madrid forward excelled with the armband at the World Cup, leading from the front and finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals. France still fell short, losing to eventual champions Spain in the semi-finals, but Mbappe’s authority and influence were impossible to ignore. Zidane has now made that leadership official.

His appointment in July ended the 14-year era of Didier Deschamps, a reign crowned by the 2018 World Cup triumph. Zidane, who shared a dressing room with Deschamps in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000-winning sides, steps into the role on a four-year contract with both history and expectation on his shoulders.

Now comes the hard part: building a team in his own image.

New era, new names

Zidane’s first squad is anything but a conservative roll-over of the Deschamps blueprint. The 54-year-old former Ballon d’Or winner has turned to several fresh faces, signalling a willingness to shake up established hierarchies.

Jeremy Jacquet, 21, earns a call-up on the back of his early form with Liverpool after his summer move to the Premier League. At the other end of the pitch, Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, last season’s top scorer in Ligue 1, is rewarded with a first senior selection. Lucas Da Cunha, impressing at Como in Serie A, also steps into the international frame.

Andy Diouf, capable of operating in midfield or at wing-back for Inter Milan, joins the group, as does Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, another marker of Zidane’s intent to refresh the spine of the squad.

Big names miss out. Aurelien Tchouameni of Real Madrid and Inter forward Marcus Thuram, both part of the World Cup campaign, are absent from this list. Arsenal defender William Saliba is also missing through injury, underlining the changing landscape around the squad.

Nations League baptism

Zidane’s competitive debut comes in the UEFA Nations League, and the schedule offers no gentle introduction.

France travel to Turkey next Friday, the first real glimpse of Zidane’s tactical ideas in a match that counts. Then comes a trip to Brussels to face Belgium on September 28, a fixture that rarely lacks edge and will test the balance of his new-look side.

The first home outing under Zidane arrives on October 2 at the Stade de France against Italy, a nation forever tied to his playing legacy after the 2006 World Cup final. Three days later, France will host Belgium, closing a demanding opening block that should quickly reveal who can handle the weight of the shirt in this new cycle.

The squad in full

• Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan/ITA), Robin Risser (Lens), Guillaume Restes (Toulouse)
• Defenders: Andy Diouf (Inter Milan/ITA), Jeremy Jacquet (Liverpool/ENG), Ibrahima Konate (Real Madrid/ESP), Pierre Kalulu (Juventus/ITA), Jules Kounde (Barcelona/ESP), Maxence Lacroix (Chelsea/ENG), Adrien Truffert (Bournemouth/ENG), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich/GER)
• Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid/ESP), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City/ENG), Lucas Da Cunha (Como/ITA), Manu Kone (Roma/ITA), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan/ITA), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
• Forwards: Bradley Barcola (Liverpool/ENG), Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue (both Paris Saint-Germain), Esteban Lepaul (Rennes), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid/ESP), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich/GER)

Mbappe wears the armband. Zidane holds the whistle. The Nations League will show how quickly this partnership can turn promise into a new French standard.