Mbappé absent, Dembélé keen to assume the Bleus' armband

Kylian Mbappé, injured on his left knee, is out for the rest of the France squad's gathering, which forces the coach to appoint a new captain for the next three matches of the French team during the break. All eyes are on Ousmane Dembélé.

A captaincy system based on seniority

The choice of captain relies on a simple mathematical rule: seniority in caps. Zinedine Zidane already applied this system when he was on the bench at Real Madrid.

Ousmane Dembélé, PSG forward, has accumulated sixty‑seven caps, the highest total behind Mbappé. His number of caps naturally puts him at the top of the list.

Adrien Rabiot, with sixty‑six caps, wore the armband in the final minutes after the Ballon d’Or replacement. He could be appointed if Mbappé starts on the bench in Belgium.

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Jules Koundé, with fifty‑seven caps, is the last contender for the armband. His place remains conditional as long as the first two are available.

The crowd immediately chanted the name of the new leader of France. “And Ousmane captain! And Ousmane captain!”

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Thus, the question of France's captain for the next three fixtures is likely to be resolved in favor of Dembélé, under the aegis of a tradition already used in Belgium during the break.