“Griezmann Wanted To leave The Team After Mbappe Became France Captain”, This is what Kylian Mbappe told Antoine Griezmann to stop him from leaving

When Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Kylian Mbappe was named France’s new captain by manager Didier Deschamps, he risked upsetting the locker room by passing over Antoine Griezmann.

According to AS, however, it appears that any disagreements between the two parties have been resolved amicably. The 24-year-old is said to have held a private meeting with Griezmann where he conveyed that he understood the latter’s ‘disappointment after not being chosen, captain’.

Mbappe also ‘counted on’ the 32-year-old to be one of the national team’s leaders in the future. He believes that the team has numerous players capable of leading the squad without having to wear the captain’s armband.

Griezmann is eight years senior to Mbappe and has played a major role in the country’s return to prominence on the international stage in the last decade. The 117-time member of the French national team won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with his country in Russia.

Kylian Mbappe has had a conversation with Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann was also especially significant in Les Bleus’ journey to the 2016 UEFA Euros final when he received the ‘Player of the Tournament’. However, France ultimately fell to Portugal in the championship match.

Since then, Mbappe seems to have had the baton passed onto him when it comes to scoring goals for France. As France lost the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the semifinals, he scored four goals in Russia and eight more in the tournament.

Yet, it was first thought that Griezmann was contemplating leaving the national team because of the decision to not name him captain. His encounter with Mbappe has apparently calmed things down for Les Bleus.

France’s first Euro 2024 qualifier is on Friday in Saint-Denis, and Kylian Mbappe is expected to start at forward for Les Bleus (March 24).

The PSG attacker hopes to carry over his goal-scoring form from Qatar. He scored a hat trick in the championship game against Argentina and went on to win the tournament’s Golden Boot.

So far this season, Mbappe has scored 31 goals in 33 outings for PSG across all competitions. He will also have the opportunity to equal Karim Benzema’s record of 37 goals for Les Bleus.

The PSG striker is sixth all-time among his country’s goal scorers with 36 goals in 66 international appearances. One spot above him, Benzema, just retired in December. Antoine Griezmann (42) is in third place, 11 goals behind Olivier Giroud (who leads the country in scoring).

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