Mbappé expects to remain France captain under Zidane, though they haven't yet spoken

Kylian Mbappé expects to continue his role as France captain under Zinédine Zidane, even though the two men have not yet spoken since the new manager’s appointment. The Real Madrid player revealed this in an interview with L’Équipe, two weeks before rejoining the French squad.

“It’s difficult just to be captain, so captain of the France team, that’s very difficult,” Mbappé said. “But it’s a great experience. It’s allowed me to evolve as an individual within a group. In the national team, I’ve always been the guy people look at. As captain, you’re the one who has to look at the others. It takes a lot of energy but also a lot of pleasure. I try to do it as best I can.”

Despite their geographical proximity — both residing in Madrid — Mbappé and Zidane have not yet crossed paths since “ZZ” took office. France’s all-time leading goalscorer attributes this silence to a form of respect for his predecessor Didier Deschamps. “No, we haven’t crossed paths. Out of respect for the coach, Didier Deschamps, and I think he also had things to do. But we’ll have plenty of time,” he promised.

Zidane has not yet officially confirmed that Mbappé will keep the armband, but the rapport between the two men seems beyond doubt. The 26-year-old forward has been full of praise for the new manager: “Zidane is Zidane. For the French, he represents a lot. He’s the legend, he’s national Zizou. He’s elegance, he’s greatness. He marked the history of the national team as a player. He’s one of those players who transcended generations. He marked the history of French football indelibly.”

The question of the captaincy will be one of Zidane’s first symbolic decisions to formalize during the next France gathering.