Kylian Mbappe will take over as captain of France after Hugo Lloris stepped down following the World Cup final defeat to Argentina, AFP reports.
Mbappe, 24, of Paris Saint-Germain, accepted the position after discussions with coach Didier Deschamps.
His first encounter as captain will be against the Netherlands on Friday at the Stade de France, Les Bleus’ first match since their World Cup final defeat in Doha on December 18.
Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris, 36, ended his international career in January, just weeks after Lionel Messi’s Argentina defeated France in a penalty shootout after a thrilling 3-3 extra-time draw.
Lloris had been captain for over a decade.
After Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane retired following the defeat to Argentina in December, Atletico Madrid attacker Antoine Griezmann was appointed vice-captain.
For weeks, Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in France’s World Cup final loss, had been strongly linked with the captaincy.
Michel Platini, who captained France to victory in the 1984 European Championship, said the decision was “a very good idea”.
“By giving him the captaincy, it allows Kylian to go even further, higher, stronger when necessary,” Platini, the former president of European football’s governing body UEFA, said in a statement to AFP.
Mbappe, who helped France win the World Cup as a teenager in 2018, has established himself as probably the world’s leading forward.
The Paris-born former Monaco star is PSG’s vice-captain behind Brazilian defender Marquinhos and led the team in the defender’s absence against Rennes on Sunday.
Mbappe has scored 19 goals in 24 Ligue 1 matches this season and added seven goals to PSG’s run to the Champions League’s last 16 where they were eliminated by Bayern Munich.
France is in a qualifying group with the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, Greece, and Gibraltar for Euro 2024, which will be contested in Germany.
