By Staff Reporter
IZMIT, Türkiye — Zinedine Zidane will officially begin his reign as France head coach when Les Bleus face Türkiye in their UEFA Nations League opener at Kocaeli Stadium on Friday night.
The match is scheduled for 9:45pm local time (18:45 GMT).
For Zidane, the fixture marks the beginning of a new chapter with the national team he famously helped to World Cup glory as a player in 1998.
The former France midfielder replaced Didier Deschamps following the 2026 World Cup after Deschamps spent 14 years in charge, winning the 2018 World Cup and guiding France to the 2022 World Cup final.
Zidane admitted ahead of Friday’s match that taking charge of France carries enormous emotional significance.
“I feel an immense emotion being at the head of this France team,” Zidane said.
His international career began in spectacular fashion in 1994 when he scored twice against the Czech Republic after coming off the bench.
Four years later, he scored twice in France’s 3-0 World Cup final victory over Brazil before winning the Ballon d’Or later that year.
He subsequently helped France win Euro 2000 and enjoyed an illustrious club career with Juventus and Real Madrid.
As a coach, Zidane guided Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles.
However, he insists his immediate priority is results rather than the intense attention surrounding his appointment.
“You have to accept how things are. But I’m not here for that,” he said. “Winning matches is what interests me the most.”
Mbappe cleared to play
France captain Kylian Mbappe has been cleared to feature after recovering from a minor injury.
Zidane confirmed that the country’s all-time leading scorer will be available for the match.
“Mbappe is fine. He will be ready to play tomorrow,” Zidane said.
Mbappe did not attend the pre-match press conference, with vice-captain Adrien Rabiot representing the players alongside Zidane.
Rabiot said Zidane’s enormous profile had shifted much of the attention away from the players.
“His aura means he commands a lot of attention,” Rabiot said.
The midfielder added that the situation could give the squad greater freedom to concentrate on preparations for the match.
Türkiye missing key players
Türkiye will be without influential midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu and forward Kenan Yildiz because of injuries.
Real Madrid youngster Arda Guler is, however, available after concerns over a knock.
Predicted Türkiye XI
Cakir; Celik, Demiral, Bardakci, Elmali; Ozcan, Kokcu, Yuksek; Guler, Yilmaz, Akturkoglu.
New faces in France squad
Zidane has included six players who could make their France debuts.
The newcomers are Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, Manchester United defender Leny Yoro, Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet, Como midfielder Lucas Da Cunha, Inter Milan midfielder Andy Diouf and Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes.
“I’m happy with what I’ve seen so far. The French team is open to everyone,” Zidane said.
“We’ve got a good squad, some veterans, some newcomers.”
Predicted France XI
Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Lacroix, Truffert; Camavinga, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Doue; Mbappe.
France hold the head-to-head advantage
Friday’s encounter will be the seventh meeting between the two nations.
France have won four of their previous six meetings, while Türkiye have recorded one victory.
The most recent encounter ended in a 1-1 draw in Paris in 2019 during Euro 2020 qualifying.
Olivier Giroud put France ahead in the 76th minute before Kaan Ayhan equalised five minutes later.
What comes next for France?
Zidane’s side face a demanding schedule after the Türkiye clash.
France will travel to face Belgium on Monday, before hosting Italy on October 2 and Belgium again three days later at the Stade de France.
The opening match against Türkiye will therefore provide the first competitive test of Zidane’s tenure and the beginning of a new era for the French national team.
