Zinedine Zidane launched his tenure as France head coach with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Turkey in Kocaeli during their UEFA Nations League opening fixture, though a knee injury to Kylian Mbappé cast a shadow over the win.
Zidane named a starting lineup featuring zero international debutants, becoming only the second manager in French football history to do so in his first match in charge, following Aimé Jacquet against Italy in February 1994, who also began his reign with a 1–0 victory.
The first half ended goalless despite France controlling the majority of possession, while Mike Maignan kept Turkey at bay with key saves before the visitors broke the deadlock nine minutes into the second period.
The match’s sole goal arrived in the 54th minute when Mbappé received a pass from Michael Olise before firing home. However, the Real Madrid forward held his left knee immediately following the goal and attempted to continue before being replaced by Désiré Doué in the 59th minute.
No official medical diagnosis has been issued regarding the extent of Mbappé’s injury, with tests scheduled to determine his availability for the remainder of the international window. The 27-year-old had previously missed a training session earlier in the week due to flu-like symptoms before Zidane cleared him to start.
The strike brought Mbappé’s tally to 12 goals for Les Bleus in 2026, equaling the highest calendar-year goal return by a French player in the 21st century—a record he originally set in 2022. The French captain has now registered 66 goals in 106 international appearances.
France sit second in Group 1 with three points, trailing Belgium on goal difference, while Turkey and Italy occupy third and fourth respectively without points. Zidane’s side will continue their campaign against Belgium in Brussels on September 28, before hosting Italy on October 2 and facing Belgium again on October 5.
