Ibrahima Konate named France captain for final World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has been named as the captain for France ahead of their final 2026 World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan.

Konate, who also has Malian roost will lead the Less Blues in Baku on Sunday in the absence of main skipper Kylian Mbappe.

The Real Madrid has been ruled of the game after sustaining an injury in their previous game against Ukraine, where he netted a brace to reach a remarkable 400 career goals.

And with deputy skipper Mike Maignan starting from the bench, France manager Didier Dechamps has settled on the Liverpool centre-back to take leadership role against Azerbaijan.

Despite already securing qualification, Les Blues will be aiming for a victory to finish the qualifiers in a grand style.

Didier Deschamps is expected to ring changes to the squad that defeated Ukraine last Thursday.

The 25-year-old defender has made 25 appearances for the France national team since making his debut in October 2022.

Meanwhile, Konate is facing an uncertain future at Liverpool, with his contract expiring at the end of the current campaign.