Zinedine Zidane will take charge of France for the first time on Thursday in a Nations League match away to Turkey. The new head coach, who succeeded Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup, faces a Turkish side led by Vincenzo Montella with kick-off at 6:45 PM GMT.
France enter this fixture leading their World Cup qualifying group with a perfect nine points from three games. Their recent form includes two friendly defeats, however, most notably a 4-6 loss at home to England on 18 July. The squad will be without defender William Saliba due to a back injury and midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who is recovering from a groin issue.
Zidane confirmed that Kylian Mbappé, the team's top scorer this season with ten goals, will retain the captain's armband. The coach may deploy his star attacker on the left wing, an option he discussed pre-match. "Zinedine Zidane will be keen to get his managerial tenure for France underway with a win over a talented Turkey side in the UEFA Nations League," he said.
Turkey's form is mixed with three wins and two losses from their last five outings. Montella's team has shown a vulnerability early in games, conceding before the 30th minute in each of their last four matches. The most recent meeting between the nations was a 1-1 draw in European Championship qualifying back in October 2019.
The French starting lineup is not yet confirmed. If Mbappé does start on the left flank, either Ousmane Dembélé or Esteban Lepaul is expected to lead the line as the central striker. Fans can check the full squad list on our squad page and the upcoming schedule on fixtures. Thursday's match represents the first proper test of the Zidane era.
