Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate in contention to become new France captain

Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate could captain France (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate is in contention to become the captain of France during the current international break as Didier Deschamps has been impressed by the defender’s start to the 2024/25 campaign. 

The French star didn’t start the first game of the season under Arne Slot against Ipswich Town but having come on at halftime for Jarell Quansah, the 25-year-old has not looked back, starting every game in the Premier League and Champions League for the Merseyside outfit.

Konate has been very impressive alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool‘s defence, which is currently the best in the division.

The centre-back’s performances at club level could see him rewarded on the international stage as the Reds defender is reportedly one of three candidates in contention to captain France in the absence of Kylian Mbappe for their upcoming UEFA Nations League games.

France will travel to Budapest to face Israel this Thursday before a rematch with their Euro 2024 Last 16 opponents Belgium in Brussels on Monday.

In addition to Mbappe, N’Golo Kante will not meet up with Les Bleus for the current international break, while Antoine Griezmann recently announced his retirement from international football. This has left uncertainty over the captaincy but three stars are in contention.

Could Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate captain France?

Captaining France would be a massive honour and achievement for Konate and a deserved reward for his performances this season.

According to a report from RMC Sport, the Liverpool star is highly appreciated by Deschamps and his infectious charisma and personality have won over his France teammates. The other two players in connection for the role are Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and Barcelona’s Jules Kounde.

It remains to be seen who is handed the armband and whoever gets it, should get a big boost of confidence from the honour of captaining one of the most successful football nations on the planet.

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