Zidane Names Mbappe Captain: Role in France's New Era
Zinedine Zidane has barely settled into the France job, but the outline of his project is already clear. On Friday, he named his first 23-man squad for the upcoming Nations League games – and immediately shut down one of the biggest questions around the team: the armband is staying with Kylian Mbappe.
The new boss, speaking to the media, confirmed Mbappe will continue as captain under his leadership. No ceremony, no suspense. Just continuity.
Mbappe’s role: left, not through the middle
Zidane made it clear he sees Mbappe as more than a fixed No 9. With five uncapped players in a refreshed list, the coach spoke about flexibility and options across the front line, then slipped in his own preference.
“He is capable of playing in all three positions. He has said it himself,” Zidane told reporters. “Me, for example, I like him a lot on the left.”
That one line will echo all the way from Clairefontaine to Madrid. Mbappe has often been used centrally in recent years, but Zidane’s words point towards a France side built with the captain attacking from the left, cutting in, driving at full-backs, and dragging defences out of shape.
A new era, but with a familiar sight: Mbappe starting wide, deciding games.
Defensive work: Zidane shuts down the “false debate”
The conversation quickly moved to the other side of the ball. Mbappe’s defensive work rate has followed him from Paris to Madrid, with Spanish pundits already dissecting every sprint and non-sprint. That theme surfaced again as a journalist raised concerns about the forward’s investment without the ball.
Zidane didn’t let it breathe.
“It is a false subject, a false debate, it will have to be managed like all the other players,” he replied, cutting through the narrative. “When we do not have the ball, we will have to make an effort. It will not be a problem for Kylian.”
No special rules for the captain. No public scolding either. Just a clear standard: everyone works, including the star man. The message was as much for the rest of the dressing room as it was for those asking the questions.
Steering clear of politics
The press conference did not stay strictly on football. Zidane was asked about the 2027 French presidential elections and the recent controversy around Mbappe’s refusal to wear a t-shirt fully supporting residents of Ceuta.
He wanted no part of that arena.
“I am going to dedicate myself to this task, manager of the France national team,” he said. He acknowledged he has convictions “like everyone else” and that he is “a citizen,” but drew a line at turning the national team job into a political platform. “As for sharing them... Everyone does as they want, but I am going to try to dedicate myself to this task.”
The stance was firm: the debate around France, Mbappe, and politics will rage on outside. Zidane intends to keep his work strictly on the pitch.
A new France takes shape
The real test begins on September 25. France travel to Kocaeli to face Turkiye in League A, the first competitive snapshot of Zidane’s ideas. Three days later, they head to Brussels to meet Belgium – a far from gentle start.
By then, the questions will shift from theory to reality. Will Mbappe start on the left as hinted? How quickly will the five uncapped players adapt to the demands of international football and Zidane’s expectations without the ball?
The answers will not come from the press room. They’ll come when the whistle goes and France step into the Zidane era for real.
