Mbappe, Kane and Ronaldo still the gold standard on the international stage

Hugo Lloris spread his arms wide and raised them up slowly to perform a Viking Clap.

Around him, 70,000 at the Stade de France were doing the same. It was the formal goodbye to France’s most capped player, the Frenchman who has worn the captain’s armband for the national team more times than any other.

Lloris was standing close to the centre circle, alongside three other former Bleus players who have retired from national duty. Their children were with them. They looked visibly moved.

Lloris, Raphael Varane, Blaise Matuidi and Steve Mandanda then took up their VIP seats to watch France kick off their first international since these elder statesmen became, officially, ex-internationals.

Within eight minutes, France led 2-0. New captain Kylian Mbappe added two goals in Friday’s 4-0 victory against an overwhelmed the Netherlands to open qualifying for the 2024 European championship.

Late on against the Dutch, the new first-choice goalkeeper Mike Maignan saved a penalty. And if that provoked a split second of envy from Lloris, it would be understandable.

His last act for France, with whom he won the 2018 World Cup, had been to watch Gonzalo Montiel put a spot-kick past him in Argentina’s victory in the final of Qatar 2022. Lloris had come close to reaching a couple of Argentinian penalties in the deciding shoot-out but saved none.

Maignan’s first week as France’s No 1 keeper was to get better, his brilliant stretch to keep out a header from Ireland’s Nathan Collins on Tuesday was a standout highlight after an international break that asked searching questions of new and old leaders.

Didier Deschamps, the long-serving head coach of France, praised Maignan’s “great stature and mentality,” acknowledging the AC Milan