Zinédine Zidane opened his tenure as manager of the France national team with a narrow 1-0 away victory against Turkey on September 25, 2026. Captain Kylian Mbappé scored the decisive second-half goal at Kocaeli Stadium in Izmit, securing a historic start for the newly appointed French coach.
Zinédine Zidane Real Madrid
Taking charge of Les Bleus for the first time on September 25, 2026, Zinédine Zidane watched his side grind out a slender win in their opening fixture of the UEFA Nations League campaign. The match marked Zidane’s return to the technical area in a managerial capacity since he left Real Madrid in 2021 for a second time.
Kylian Mbappé Makes the Difference Against Turkey’s High Press
The hosts at Kocaeli Stadium came out aggressively, disrupting the visitors with an intense high press. Zidane’s squad required time to settle into the rhythm of the game, squandering two promising scoring chances before the intermission. Despite failing to convert multiple clear chances, French skipper Kylian Mbappé (27) proved decisive, with the nation’s all-time leading scorer converting after the break.
Turkey nearly capitalized early in the second half when Arda Guler whipped a dangerous cross into the penalty box. Ismail Yuksek found ample space for a free header, but French goalkeeper Mike Maignan denied him with an outstanding save to keep the match scoreless.
In the 54th minute, Michael Olise combined with Kylian Mbappé, allowing the French captain to convert and break the deadlock.
France nearly doubled their cushion in the 69th minute when Jules Kounde surged forward on an attacking run, only to see his effort rattle the woodwork. Turkey remained within striking distance until late in regulation.
With three minutes left in normal time, Turkish goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir received a red card for handling the ball outside his area. Altay Bayindir stepped in off the bench to replace him, and Ousmane Dembele fired the ensuing free kick directly at the substitute goalkeeper. Despite eight minutes of stoppage time, Turkey failed to find an equalizer.
The triumph in Izmit made Zinédine Zidane the first French manager this century to win his opening match at the helm of the men’s national team. Prior to Friday, the most recent boss to accomplish that milestone in charge of the French men’s squad was Aimé Jacquet, who also happened to be his initial national team coach.
Aimé Jacquet Italy
The 1994 away friendly against Italy ended in a 1-0 victory under the tactical direction of Jacquet. Youri Djorkaeff scored the only goal. Jacquet assumed leadership following Gérard Houllier’s departure, which occurred after France suffered a devastating elimination from the 1993 World Cup finals on the very last kick against Bulgaria. Jacquet won the 1998 World Cup as manager thanks to a brace from Zizou in the final at the Stade de France.
Zidane made history with the win. Rather than celebrating the team’s on-field performance, people will look back on this fixture primarily as the kickoff of the Zidane era.
Stade de France Italy
Next up for Les Bleus is a Monday trip to Brussels, where they take on Belgium for the second matchday of their UEFA Nations League schedule. Next, Zidane’s squad welcomes Italy to the Stade de France on October 2nd, which happens to be the same opponent Zizou faced during his final appearance as a player in the 2006 World Cup final.
May 27, 2006 marked Zizou’s ultimate appearance at the Stade de France as an active player during a 1-0 friendly triumph over Mexico, an occasion where the midfielder secured his 100th international appearance.
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