Nations League: In his first match as coach of the French national team, Zinédine Zidane starts with a victory against Turkey.

Sep 25, 2026

The new coach of the French national team kicked off his tenure with a narrow victory (1-0) against Turkey on Friday, September 25, at Kocaeli Stadium in Izmit, during the opening match of the Nations League. Although not everything went smoothly, a goal from captain Kylian Mbappé was enough to tip the scales against a determined Turkish side.

Published on: 25/09/2026 - 22:47

4 min Reading time

Zinedine Zidane's new era with the national team began on Friday night in Izmit, a coastal city by the Sea of Marmara, about one hundred kilometers east of Istanbul. Far from the hustle and bustle of Istanbul, "ZZ" experienced his 109^th Marseillaise, the first since taking charge of the French team. Dressed in a black suit, the former Real Madrid coach had the chance to become the first manager since 1994 to win his opening match in charge of Les Bleus, succeeding Aimé Jacquet.

For his first match, Zidane chose a different approach from his predecessor Didier Deschamps. As expected, Kylian Mbappé was positioned on the left, Dembélé at center forward, Rayan Cherki played in a three-man midfield, while Maxence Lacroix was preferred over newcomer Jérémy Jacquet alongside Dayot Upamecano in central defense.

A Disjointed First Half

The first fifteen minutes were not thrilling, with Mbappé sticking to the left flank and Dembélé somewhat lost in the center forward position. The Turks were instructed to push forward quickly upon regaining possession, looking for Baris Alper Yilmaz behind the French defenders. On a poorly maintained pitch, the ball often slipped from the feet of the 22 players. The first real chance of the match came in the 17^th minute with Cherki orchestrating a quick counter-attack. The City player set up Michael Olise, who then laid it off for Mbappé, but the latter skewed his shot wide.

With a brilliant Arda Güler, Yilmaz saw his attempt blocked at the last moment by Upamecano (27^th), while Ferdi Kadioglu failed to generate power in his header, which was easily caught by Maignan (28^th).

The end of the first half was more encouraging for the French team, as Merih Demiral saved his side with a superb tackle on Cherki, who was poised to score after a combination with Dembélé and Olise (40^th). The Bayern Munich player then attempted a curled shot from the right flank, but goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir deflected it for a corner (43^rd), while Rabiot missed the target despite a good cutback from Cherki (44^th).

Mbappé Scores Then Gets Injured, Cakir Sent Off

Upon returning from the break, Vincenzo Montella's players looked more threatening. Güler saw his free kick deflected by Lacroix (49^th), and then Mike Maignan made a stunning save on a close-range header from Ismail Yüksek (50^th). However, it was Zidane's men, against the run of play, who opened the scoring. Following a Turkish turnover, Olise seized the opportunity to set up Mbappé in the box, who calmly finished with a confident strike (1-0, 54^th). But just after his goal, the Real Madrid star showed signs of pain in his left knee. Despite attempting to continue, he had to be substituted for Désiré Doué.

Despite the absence of their captain, the French team managed to capitalize on their slim lead. Jules Koundé, almost in a right forward position, made a cut inside the box before shooting with his left foot, but the ball hit the post (68^th). Olise then tried to extend the lead, but his curled shot missed the target (71^th). The Turks quickly responded moments later with Güler, whose powerful shot at the near post was parried by Maignan (76^th). On a rapid counter-attack, Bradley Barcola touched the arm of Turkish goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir. The problem was that the Galatasaray keeper had touched the ball outside his area; he was subsequently sent off (87^th).

France thus played the final minutes with a numerical advantage but failed to secure a second goal. Five years after his last match at the helm of Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane begins his journey with the national team with a narrow but valuable victory in Turkey. The French players were not particularly brilliant, but they ensured the essentials by demonstrating solidity and realism in both boxes, an approach not too far removed from that of his predecessor.