France’s new era will begin with Kylian Mbappé wearing the armband, but Zinédine Zidane has put a broader leadership group around his captain for the latest international gathering.
Zidane confirmed last Friday that Mbappé would remain France captain, continuing the role he held during the closing phase of Didier Deschamps’ reign. The new head coach also said he intended to work with four captains, leaving the identities of the other three open at the time.
They are now set to be Ousmane Dembélé, Adrien Rabiot and Jules Koundé, the three most capped players in the squad behind Mbappé. Dembélé has made 67 appearances for France, Rabiot has 66, and Koundé has collected 56 caps.
The approach reflects Zidane’s preference for experience in the dressing room. During his time in charge at Real Madrid, he relied on seniority when shaping his captaincy hierarchy, and the same principle is being carried into the France set-up.
Koundé already had a vice-captaincy role under Deschamps. For Dembélé and Rabiot, however, this gathering marks a new responsibility within the national side, with Zidane surrounding Mbappé with three of France’s most seasoned internationals.
