Zinedine Zidane has confirmed Kylian Mbappe as the captain of the France national football team following his appointment as head coach, succeeding Didier Deschamps. Zidane unveiled his first squad on Friday at a press conference in Paris, marking the beginning of a new era for Les Bleus.

Mbappe, who currently plays for Real Madrid, served as captain during the recent World Cup, where he excelled as the tournament's top scorer with 10 goals. Despite his individual success, France were eliminated in the semi-finals by Spain, the eventual champions. Throughout the tournament, Mbappe demonstrated versatility, effectively playing as a center forward while also being impactful on the left wing. Zidane expressed admiration for Mbappe's ability to operate across all front-line positions, emphasizing his preference for the forward slightly shifted to the left.

The recent World Cup also marked the end of Didier Deschamps’s 14-year tenure as national coach, which included a World Cup victory in Russia in 2018. Zidane, who was a teammate of Deschamps on France’s victorious 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 squads, was appointed in late July on a four-year contract.

Zidane’s initial fixtures as coach will take place in the UEFA Nations League, with France scheduled to play away games against Turkey on September 25 and Belgium in Brussels on September 28. His first home match in charge will be against Italy at Stade de France on October 2, followed by a home game against Belgium three days later.

The 54-year-old Zidane, a former Ballon d’Or winner who retired in 2006, has included several new players in his squad. Among them is 21-year-old centerback Jeremy Jacquet, who earned his call-up after his impressive performances since joining Liverpool in the Premier League this summer. Zidane noted a personal connection, having followed Jacquet’s career closely due to his previous youth-level experience alongside Zidane’s son Elyaz.

Additionally, Zidane has called up Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, the leading scorer in Ligue 1 last season, and midfielder Lucas Da Cunha from Serie A club Como, highlighting his interest in integrating fresh talent into the national setup. The squad reflects Zidane’s intention to blend experience with promising newcomers as he begins his tenure with expectations to maintain France’s status among world football’s elite.