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Kylian Mbappe and Raphael Varane are under consideration to replace Hugo Lloris as France's captain after the goalkeeper announced his retirement, according to L'Equipe [via Get French Football News].
Lloris made his senior debut for the French national team in a 0-0 draw with Uruguay in November 2008. He went on to make 145 appearances for the side, becoming their most-capped player ever.
The Tottenham Hotspur star captained Les Bleus in 121 matches, leading them to FIFA World Cup glory in 2018. However, he announced his retirement from international football on Monday, January 9.
Several France internationals, including Mbappe, have since paid their tributes to Lloris. Meanwhile, the goalkeeper's retirement has also raised doubts about who the national team's next captain will be.
According to the aforementioned source, Mbappe and Varane are in the running to take the armband from Lloris. It now remains to be seen who among the two will be handed the responsibility.
Varane is an obvious choice to succeed Lloris, considering he has served as the vice-captain in recent years. At 29 years of age, the Manchester United defender also has significant experience under his belt to lead the team.
It is worth noting that France have several experienced players, including Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann, in their ranks. However, Mbappe is seemingly ahead of them in the race to become the team's next captain.
Despite being just 24 years old, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar has been at the top of his game for a while now. He particularly displayed his leadership ability at half-time during France's FIFA World Cup final against Argentina last month.
Considering his age and experience, the forward could unite the younger and older generations in the French squad. Should he take the armband, though, he will not be their youngest captain as Lloris first captained the side at the age of 23.
How has Mbappe fared for France?
Mbappe played his first senior match for the French national team in a 3-1 win against Luxembourg in March 2017. He has since made 66 appearances across all competitions for the side.
He was notably pivotal to Les Bleus' World Cup triumph in Russia four-and-a-half years ago. He scored four goals, including one in the final against Croatia, and provided an assist in the tournament.
The PSG superstar helped Didier Deschamps' side repeat the trick in Qatar last month with his performances. He even netted a hat-trick in the final against Argentina before the team lost on penalties.
