The Kylian Mbappé era as the France national team began on Friday with a 4-0 victory over the Netherlands as the 24-year-old scored a brace on Matchday 1 of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches.
Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga was one of several players who commented on Mbappé now wearing the captaincy. However, despite the Paris Saint-Germain star wearing the armband, Camavinga doesn’t see a different player.
“With or without an armband, he hasn’t changed; it’s always the same,” Camavinga told reporters after the victory (h/t RMC Sport).
“He scores all the time; that surprises me more. The most important thing is that he doesn’t “didn’t change with or without an armband. Before the game, he told us to have a good first minute and, at half-time, he said to continue, that if we had to put six, we had to put some six.”
Furthermore, the PSG forward isn’t only wearing the captaincy for aesthetic purposes; Mbappé is leaning into the leadership role and helping to guide his teammates during the highs and lows of a contest.
“What did Mbappé tell me about my shot at the end of the match? He told me that I had played well, just that we needed more support. He encouraged me to continue doing this type of action,” Khéphren Thuram told reporters postgame.
It will be interesting to see if the capital club follows the same path as the national team and permanently hands the captaincy over to Mbappé. Marquinhos has served as PSG’s captain since Thiago Silva left, but it feels as though the role might be too much.
As a result, Mbappé could be ready for that role as sporting advisor Luis Campos has to begin building the squad around the French star.
