Kylian Mbappe Briefly Made PSG Captain After He & Neymar Score Hat-Tricks Against Clermont

Kylian Mbappe was given the responsibility of captaining Paris Saint-Germain during the closing stages of Saturday's 6-1 win over Clermont Foot.

Kylian Mbappe was given the responsibility of captaining Paris Saint-Germain during the closing stages of Saturday's 6-1 win over Clermont Foot.

He did not start the match as captain but led superbly from the front nonetheless by scoring a hat-trick.

Neymar also netted a trio of goals, while Lionel Messi provided three assists.

Mbappe has been the subject of persistent speculation in recent weeks and months as his PSG contract is set to expire in June.

The 23-year-old had been widely expected to move to Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of the season.

But recent reports have suggested that PSG are increasingly hopeful that they may be able to persuade him to extend his stay in Paris.

Mbappé, the CAPTAIN.#CF63PSG 🇫🇷 #Ligue1 pic.twitter.com/VDdEFXbFiH

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) April 9, 2022

Last week L'Equipe reported that the PSG board had proposed the idea of making Mbappe the team's captain in an attempt to convince him to sign a new contract.

Speaking on the eve of Saturday's game with Clermont, PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino said he might give Mbappe the armband, as regular skipper Marquinhos was missing with an injury.

"I consider Kylian, as well as other players, as a possible captain of this team," Pochettino said, as quoted by Marca.

"We want the best for him and for the club, and the best thing is for him to stay.

"Both myself and the club are thinking about it, but then there are negotiations that have to be completed."

But Presnel Kimpembe started Saturday's match as captain, before passing the armband onto Marco Verratti when he left the pitch in the 79th minute.

Veratti was then subbed off six minutes later and it was at this point that Mbappe was given the role of captain. The score was already 6-1.

The way he received the armband made it clear that Mbappe is currently behind some of his teammates in the leadership pecking order.

But it is believed that Mbappe could be promoted to first-choice captain at the end of the season if he decides to stay.

Kylian Mbappe pictured wearing the PSG captain's armband during a 6-1 win over Clermont / beIN SPORTS