When and where does Zidane’s first match as France coach against Turkey kick off?
Zinédine Zidane’s first match in charge of the France national team is a Nations League A, Group 1 fixture on the road against Turkey.
When and where is kickoff?
- Date: September 25, 2026
- Kickoff: 20:45 local time
- Venue: Kocaeli Stadyumu, Izmit, Turkey
- Competition: UEFA Nations League A, Group 1
- Referee: Félix Zwayer (Germany)
Why this match is a notable one
It’s Zidane’s competitive debut as France head coach, and it’s also France’s first competitive match since finishing 4th at the 2026 World Cup. For the opener, Zidane set his side up in a 4-3-3, with Kylian Mbappé captaining the team from a left-forward role.
What to keep in mind
The available reporting covers the build-up and starting lineups, not a final score — if you’re looking for the result, check a live source for the latest update, since match-day details like this can shift close to kickoff.
What changed in France’s squad selection under Zidane compared to the previous setup?
Zidane’s first squad list as France coach wasn’t just a lineup for one match — it also signals how he plans to build his group going forward.
What actually changed
For his first squad selection, Zidane named 23 players, five of whom are new faces compared to the group assembled under the previous setup. That’s described as a shift away from the established hierarchy France had settled into. The specific identities of all five newcomers aren’t detailed in the available reporting beyond the players who started the Turkey match.
What’s confirmed from the starting XI
The players Zidane trusted to start the opener, in a 4-3-3, were:
- Goalkeeper: Maignan
- Defense: Koundé, Upamecano, Lacroix, Truffert
- Midfield: Rabiot, Koné, Cherki
- Attack: Olise, Dembélé, Mbappé
Mbappé kept the captaincy, and Cherki — playing centrally rather than out wide — is one indication of how Zidane is using the squad differently from before.
Worth watching
Squad make-up tends to keep evolving from one international window to the next, so treat this as a snapshot of Zidane’s first selection rather than a fixed group — later call-ups may look different.
Sources / Learn more
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