A major absentee from the final gathering of the year, Kylian Mbappé is focusing all the attention. The Figaro editorial team is debating whether or not the 2018 World Champion should remain captain of Les Bleus.
Kylian Mbappé captain, stop or continue? “Today I’m not going to ask myself a question that’s not on the agenda. All in good time”., said Didier Deschamps at the start of the gathering on November 7. He could have closed the door and said that the Real Madrid striker’s non-selection did not call into question his status as captain of the French team. But he didn’t. On purpose? Unlike the coach, the editors of Figaro asks the question: should “KM” still be captain of Les Bleus?
Yes, Kylian Mbappé should still be captain of Les Bleus (C.R.)
Don’t be a prisoner of the moment. That’s the golden rule to keep in mind in this matter. If it’s a question of his (potential) legal troublesthe presumption of innocence prevails, as Didier Deschamps reminded us. As far as his sporting performances are concerned, a lot of water will have passed under the bridge between now and the next gathering in March. If there is talk of possible enmities within the group, all will be quickly erased with a few goals. Admittedly, the coach would no doubt have been well advised to entrust Antoine Griezmann with the armband after Hugo Lloris’s international retirement. But what’s done is done. “Grizou bids farewell to Les Bleus in his turn.
Kylian Mbappé remains the standard-bearer of France’s new generation. Clearly, Deschamps refuses, against all odds, to entrust the captaincy to the man who, from the outside, would best embody it, namely Mike Maignan. “DD” is unlikely to want to deny himself to that extent.
Against Israel the (very) discreet N’Golo Kanté will take on the taskAurelien Tchouaméni, captain in October, has withdrawn. A choice made by default, to make room for the triple scorer of the world final in Qatar. One thing is certain: “KM” needs to find himself again, to become the player… and the man he was until the 2022 World Cup. The armband is no obstacle to that. If he has made this threat, it is undoubtedly because Deschamps intends to prick his star’s pride. It’s up to Kylian Mbappé to get back on track, on the pitch, at club level, in the national team and in his own mind. In the meantime, the captain’s armband is his. He must keep it.
Read also
Team France: Mbappé absent, Kanté favourite to captain against Israel
No, Kylian Mbappé should no longer be captain of Les Bleus (B.D.)
The idea is not to hurt a boy who is going through the most difficult period of his professional career. Above all, it’s to take a weight off his shoulders. Kylian Mbappé is a formidable leader when things are going well, but also when it comes to taking responsibility on the pitch, and no-one will have forgotten his iconic and legendary hat-trick. in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina. That night, he harangued his partners and single-handedly mystified the Albiceleste. No debate about that. Any questions? Was he captain of Les Bleus? No, the armband belonged to Hugo Lloris.
Recent events (Euro, September’s botched comeback on and off the pitch, misplaced escapade in Sweden after postponing the October sequence…) confirm one thing. Nothing will be spared for Mbappé, and when he’s not as good physically and mentally as he has been for over a year, it’s difficult, even for a mutant like him, to manage everything well. The matches, the conflicts, the positions taken, the media appearances… It’s far too much for one man to handle.
By relieving him of such responsibility, Didier Deschamps would be making a mark on his authority. But it would also send a message to Mbappé to focus on what he does best: performing well on the pitch. As everyone can see, when things are going well, he’s a great captain. When things aren’t going well, doubts arise and his game suffers. For the 2026 World Cup, we need Mbappé to be physically, mentally and psychologically liberated. He probably hasn’t fully appreciated the immense task and influence that this piece of cloth represents. Les Bleus need a great Kylian Mbappé if they are to win a third star. And that doesn’t always rhyme with the armband. In 1998, everyone remembers Zidane. Not captain. In 2018, everyone remembers Mbappé and Griezmann. Neither captain nor vice-captain. Ditto in 2022. What about 2026?