Zinedine Zidane has announced his first France squad since taking over as head coach following Didier Deschamps’ departure, offering early signals of his intent to refresh the Les Bleus squad—particularly within the goalkeeping and defensive ranks.
Zidane selected a 23-player roster to navigate four UEFA Nations League fixtures over an 11-day span. While retaining the established core in attack led by Kylian Mbappé, the squad features notable overhauls across the backline and midfield.
Surprises in Zidane’s Debut Roster
The selection includes five uncapped players awaiting their senior international debuts: goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, Andy Diouf, Jérémy Jacquet, Lucas Da Cunha, and Esteban Lepaul.
Jacquet’s inclusion stands as one of the biggest surprises, with Zidane rewarding the 18-year-old defender for his impressive start at Liverpool. Meanwhile, Lepaul earned his maiden call-up after finishing as Ligue 1’s top scorer last season with Rennes.
Zidane also categorized Andy Diouf among the defensive options after the Inter Milan player began the season at right wing-back, alongside recalling Adrien Truffert to reinforce the left flank.
Eduardo Camavinga makes his return to the national team after being omitted from France’s 2026 World Cup squad, despite limited minutes for Real Madrid early in the season.
Conversely, Aurélien Tchouaméni misses out due to ongoing fitness issues at Real Madrid. Zidane also opted against selecting N’Golo Kanté, Lucas Digne, Marcus Thuram, Maghnes Akliouche, or the Hernández brothers (Theo and Lucas).
William Saliba remains sidelined through injury, while the manager favored Guillaume Restes over Brice Samba, keeping Robin Risser—who was part of France’s World Cup squad—in the setup.
Full France Roster (September / October 2026)
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Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan, Guillaume Restes, Robin Risser.
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Defenders: Andy Diouf, Jérémy Jacquet, Pierre Kalulu, Ibrahima Konaté, Jules Koundé, Maxence Lacroix, Adrien Truffert, Dayot Upamecano.
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Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga, Rayan Cherki, Lucas Da Cunha, Manu Koné, Adrien Rabiot, Warren Zaïre-Emery.
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Forwards: Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Esteban Lepaul, Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise.
Zidane maintained his attacking firepower by featuring Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise, Doué, and Barcola, while assigning Lepaul the central striker role ahead of Marcus Thuram and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
These initial selections signal Zidane’s ambition to build a younger, more versatile squad while preserving the key stars who formed the core of France’s team under Deschamps.
France International Fixture Schedule
Zidane will kick off his managerial tenure with an away match against Turkey on September 25, followed by a trip to Brussels to face Belgium on September 29.
France will then return to the Stade de France to host Italy on October 2, before hosting Belgium once more on October 5. All four Nations League matches are scheduled to kick off at 21:45 Cairo time.
Competing in League A, Group 1 of the UEFA Nations League alongside Italy, Belgium, and Turkey, Zidane faces stern competitive tests from his very first days at the helm.
