Zinedine Zidane is finally about to take charge of France. After years of being linked with the job and more than five years away from management, the former Real Madrid coach will begin his reign with a UEFA Nations League match against Turkey on September 25.
It will be the first France match without Didier Deschamps in charge for 14 years and the beginning of a new cycle for a national team that remains packed with some of the best players in Europe. Zidane has already named his first squad, confirmed Kylian Mbappe as captain and offered the first clues about how he intends to shape the team.
When is Zinedine Zidane’s first game as France manager?
Zidane’s first match in charge of France will be Turkey vs France on September 25, 2026, in the UEFA Nations League. The game will be played at Kocaeli Stadium in Izmit, with kick-off scheduled for 20:45 local time.
It is the first of four matches France will play during an unusually long international window. Les Bleus travel to Belgium three days later before returning home to face Italy and Belgium at the Stade de France in early October.
France’s first four matches under Zidane are:
- September 25: Turkey vs France — UEFA Nations League
- September 28: Belgium vs France — UEFA Nations League
- October 2: France vs Italy — UEFA Nations League
- October 5: France vs Belgium — UEFA Nations League
That gives Zidane little time for a gentle introduction. Turkey away is immediately followed by three matches against two of Europe’s strongest national teams, meaning his first two weeks in the job should provide an early indication of what will change under the new manager.
Zidane takes over from Didier Deschamps
Zidane was officially appointed France manager on July 28, succeeding Deschamps following the 2026 World Cup. Deschamps had been in charge since 2012 and left after a remarkable 14-year spell that included winning the 2018 World Cup, reaching another World Cup final in 2022 and taking France to the Euro 2016 final.
The succession carries obvious symbolism. Deschamps captained France when they won their first World Cup in 1998, while Zidane was the outstanding creative figure in that team and scored twice in the 3-0 victory over Brazil in the final. More than two decades later, Zidane is replacing his former international team-mate in arguably the biggest coaching job in French football.
The appointment also brings Zidane back into management for the first time since leaving Real Madrid in 2021. His club coaching career has so far consisted entirely of two spells at Madrid, where he won three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018 as well as two La Liga titles.
What has Zidane said about his France team?
The first indication of Zidane’s plans came when he announced his squad on September 18. Rather than presenting his appointment as the beginning of a complete rebuild, he stressed that he wants to retain much of what already works while introducing his own ideas.
The most interesting part of his early message concerns how France will play. Zidane has spoken about the need for balance, but has also emphasised his desire to see France play football and make use of the attacking quality available to him.
That could become one of the main differences to watch as the team moves on from the Deschamps era. France have an extraordinary collection of attacking players, including Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola, while Rayan Cherki provides another creative option.
Zidane will have to find a structure that allows enough of those players onto the pitch without leaving the team exposed. His first four Nations League matches should therefore be particularly revealing from a tactical perspective.
Will Kylian Mbappe remain France captain under Zidane?
Yes. One of Zidane’s first major decisions was to confirm that Kylian Mbappe will continue as France captain. There had been some uncertainty over whether a change of manager could also lead to a change in leadership, but Zidane quickly removed that possibility.
Mbappe remains the central figure in this France team and enters the new era after finishing the 2026 World Cup as the tournament’s leading scorer with 10 goals. Zidane has also suggested that Mbappe could be used in several attacking positions. The Real Madrid forward has played centrally for France but is equally comfortable starting from the left, and finding the right combination around him will be one of the manager’s first tactical decisions.
The relationship between the two will inevitably attract considerable attention. Zidane was one of Mbappe’s childhood idols, while the pair have known each other since Mbappe visited Real Madrid’s training ground as a teenager. They will now work together for the first time.
Who is in Zidane’s first France squad?
Zidane has resisted making wholesale changes, although his first squad does contain several new faces. Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet, Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, Como midfielder Lucas Da Cunha and Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes are among the players brought into the group.
There are also some significant absentees. Aurelien Tchouameni and Marcus Thuram have not been included, while Arsenal defender William Saliba misses the international window through injury.
The attacking options remain particularly strong. Mbappe is joined by Dembele, Doue, Barcola, Olise and Lepaul, while Cherki and Warren Zaire-Emery are among the midfielders available to Zidane.
It means the new coach inherits a squad that does not require a conventional rebuild. His challenge is more about deciding how to use a deep pool of elite players and establishing a team capable of turning France’s consistent presence at the latter stages of major tournaments into another trophy.
When is Zidane’s first home game with France?
French supporters will have to wait one week after his debut to see Zidane lead the national team at home. His first match in France will be France vs Italy on October 2 at the Stade de France.
It is a fitting venue for his home debut. The Stade de France is where Zidane scored twice against Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final, producing one of the defining performances of his international career as France became world champions for the first time.
France will remain at the Stade de France for their next match against Belgium on October 5. Their final two Nations League group fixtures are scheduled for November, away to Italy on November 12 and at home to Turkey in Bordeaux on November 15.
The Bordeaux fixture carries another personal connection for Zidane. He spent four seasons with Bordeaux as a player before moving to Juventus in 1996, establishing himself as one of Europe’s leading midfielders during his time in France.
Why Zidane’s France debut has been so long awaited
Few managerial appointments in international football have felt as inevitable as this one. As FootyRoom previously explored, Zidane had effectively been waiting for the France job for years, remaining out of management despite being linked with several major European clubs. Deschamps’ longevity meant the position simply never became available.
The end of the 2026 World Cup finally created the opening. Deschamps departed after 14 years and Zidane, at 54, returned to the dugout more than five years after his final game with Real Madrid.
His task is very different from the one he faced in club football. At Madrid, Zidane worked with his players every day and built teams for long domestic and European campaigns. International management offers far less training time, and his first window illustrates the challenge perfectly: four competitive matches in only 11 days.
There will therefore be little time for dramatic tactical reconstruction. The early signs suggest Zidane understands that. His first squad combines continuity with several new selections, while his comments have focused on extracting more from the talent already available rather than dismantling the team he inherited.
Turkey on September 25 will provide the first evidence of what that looks like on the pitch. After years of speculation about when Zidane would finally become France manager, the waiting is almost over.
Published by Patrick Jane
22.09.2026