But maybe the most important was who to pick as captain in the absence of Lloris. As discussed last week, the three names on Deschamps’ likely shortlist — Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe — became two very quickly considering Pogba’s issues at the moment. So: Grizi or Ky, longevity or the prodigy? Who would be the most upset by not getting the armband? Who does Deschamps need the most as an ally at his side? Who would be the most boosted by the captaincy?
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Every question yielded the same answer: Mbappe. Of course, Griezmann was upset and hurt. He never thought about quitting the national team, but he did feel snubbed. There were no issues between him and Mbappe, and they quickly had a grown-up discussion about it anyway, but he’d been convinced it could be him. At 32 years old, he’ll still be a senior figure as Mbappe’s vice-captain, but the Atletico Madrid forward has already moved on.
For Mbappe, though, this is a dream come true. To be France’s captain — like Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane or Thierry Henry before him — at only 24 years old means the world to the PSG superstar. Deschamps considers him to be the best player in the world and thinks the armband will make him even more mature, more decisive and more of a leader. In two games, Mbappe led by example, with two goals and an assist against the Netherlands and a frustrated outing vs. Ireland, but he is talking more and getting more involved beyond his individual role on the pitch. He also communicates more with the media as we saw him doing a news conference before each game.
– Ogden: Maignan the hero as France beat Ireland
We’d been used to Lloris being very cautious when it came to what he would say as captain. So far, Kylian is the opposite. He is honest and open. His best line so far: “When France fans look at our team on paper, they must be thinking: how can they not win the 2024 Euros?”
Mbappe is confident, and with good reason. The French will be the heavy favourites and have an impressive squad with few evident flaws: there’s a compelling blend of youth, physicality, technical skill, defensive nous and attacking versatility. They don’t have flaws right now and they could get even better if Pogba, Kimpembe and N’Golo Kanté come back at their best from their injuries.
We won’t know for a few weeks how “Succession” the series will end, of course, and for Les Bleus, we won’t know for a while just how they will fare at the 2024 Euros. But the international break showed that Deschamps’ succession plans have been successfully executed — for now, anyway.
