After a six-month absence from France, Kylian Mbappé is once again wearing the captain's armband for Les Bleus.
France closed out 2024 on a five-game unbeaten run in the UEFA Nations League group stage to punch their tickets to the quarterfinals. Didier Deschamps's squad managed a 1–3 victory over Italy on the final matchday to secure their spot atop the table. Despite their underwhelming performance at Euro 2024, France once again looked like one of the best national teams in the world.
And they did it all without Mbappé.
The Frenchman missed out on the October international break due to injury, but he recovered in time for Les Bleus' November matches against Israel and Italy. Ready to rejoin his fellow France teammates, Mbappé was all-but on his way to his homeland when Deschamps decided to leave his captain out of his squad.
Three years ago, the idea of Mbappé being overlooked by Deschamps for international duty would have sounded preposterous. The Frenchman left Qatar with the Golden Boot and Silver Ball after carrying France to a consecutive FIFA World Cup final. Mbappé went on to bag a hat trick against Argentina at Lusail Stadium, but France fell short in the penalty shootout. What could have been a back-to-back FIFA World Cup title for France instead went to Lionel Messi and La Albiceleste.
In March of the next year, Mbappé became the captain of France. The superstar seemed destined to wear the armband for his home country ever since he helped Les Bleus lift the most coveted trophy in soccer in 2018. At age 19, Mbappé became a FIFA World Cup winner and joined Brazil legend Pelé as the only other player to win the competition as a teenager.
Mbappé became the new face of France and eventually, the new leader of France. Then he joined Real Madrid and everything changed.
