The 2026 FIFA World Cup cycle is underway and after making the 2022 final but losing to Argentina, the France national team is ready to begin a new era with Kylian Mbappé as the face.
After the international retirements of Hugo Lloris and Raphaël Varane, manager Didier Deschamps handed the captaincy to the Paris Saint-Germain star.
One player that Mbappé will lead is FC Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembélé. The 26-year-old spoke with French media outlet Téléfoot (h/t Canal Supporters), discussing Mbappé being named captain.
“I’m happy for Kylian that he’s captain,” Dembélé told the French media outlet. “He is a leader; he is hungry: He is a very good captain.”
Mbappé will have the World Cup qualifiers and UEFA Euro 2024 to show the football world he can lead Les Bleus. The PSG goal scorer displayed his leadership qualities in the final loss to Argentina.
As a result, he now has the keys to lead this new era of French football and if he can lift some trophies during this cycle, then it seems that Mbappé is ready to help carry the team for the foreseeable future.