Ibrahima Konate captained France to victory in its blockbuster clash with Italy – and the armband highlights the Liverpool defender’s incredible form thus far in 2024-25.
Konate has excelled for the Reds under Arne Slot this season. Having forced his way back into the team after ending last year on the bench, Konate has been in imperious form alongside captain Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool is the only team with a flawless record in the Champions League while holding a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table – and much of their success is predicated on the defense. The backline has only conceded seven goals across 15 games in both competitions.
With Kylian Mbappe left out of France’s squad for their final Nations League clashes against Israel and Italy, Konate stepped up. He endured a shaky performance and wasn’t his usual solid self against Israel, but he returned to his best when facing Italy.
The 25-year-old started alongside Arsenal’s William Saliba, but it was more than simply another game: Didier Deschamps picked Konate as captain in Mbappe’s absence. It was the first time Konate had captained his country, and Les Bleus came out on top.
Adrien Rabiot struck within the opening minutes to give France a lead which was doubled when Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario conceded an own goal. Andrea Cambiaso pulled one back for Italy, but Rabiot scored a second to secure the 3-1 victory.
Both France and Italy had already qualified for the quarter-finals of the Nations League, but Les Bleus held on to guarantee first place in the group. This will mean France represents the top seed in the draw for this new phase of the tournament.
Konate demonstrated his leadership tendencies ahead of the game. Speaking to Telefoot, the Liverpool defender acknowledged Mbappe’s absence and declared: “Beyond being a footballer, he is one of my friends, someone that I have a lot of affection for. If Kylian has psychological problems in his life, we’ll always be there to help him.
“But we know the qualities that Kylian has; he is a formidable player and one of the best in the world. Every player in their career has had a little blip so I’m not worried about him. I can’t wait for him to get back to his best level.”
Elsewhere in the Nations League, Curtis Jones made his second senior start for England in the crushing 5-0 win over 10-man Ireland, who had Caoimhin Kelleher in goal, at Wembley. Jarell Quansah was an unused substitute for the Three Lions, while in the same Nations League group, Kostas Tsimikas played the whole 90 minutes as Greece won 2-0 against Finland.
