France beats Turkey 1-0 in Zidane debut as Mbappe suffers knee injury
Zinedine Zidane won his managerial debut with France in a 1-0 Nations League victory over Turkey, but captain Kylian Mbappe sustained a knee injury that ruled him out of upcoming fixtures.
Zidane begins with victory in Kocaeli
Zinédine Zidane opened his tenure as manager of the French national team with a 1-0 away victory over Turkey in the UEFA Nations League at Kocaeli Stadium on Friday. The 54-year-old coach, who had been out of management since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, took charge following Didier Deschamps' spell from 2012 to 2026. Zidane adjusted the tactical setup from the 4-2-3-1 system used at the recent World Cup to a 4-3-3 formation, positioning Kylian Mbappé on the left wing. France established control against Vincenzo Montella's side, which was missing the injured Kenan Yıldız, while Turkey relied on playmaker Arda Güler for transitional attacks.
Mbappé scores and suffers knee injury
The match turned in the 54th minute when Michael Olise provided a pass to Mbappé on the edge of the penalty box, allowing the French captain to beat Turkish goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır with a right-footed shot. During the completion of the shot, Mbappé sustained an injury to his left knee without any contact from Turkish defenders. After attempting to run following medical treatment, the forward went down on the turf and was substituted for Désiré Doué in the 59th minute. The French Football Federation subsequently confirmed a tendon injury, ruling him out of upcoming fixtures against Belgium.
Unfortunately, it is not looking good. I think he will leave. It is not encouraging for him to continue, and we are not going to take any risks.
Late red card and Group 1 standings
France maintained control in the second half, and defender Jules Koundé struck the goalpost in the 69th minute. Turkish hopes ended in the 87th minute when Çakır was shown a red card for handling the ball outside the penalty area to deny Bradley Barcola. The 1-0 win placed France second in Group A1 behind Belgium, who defeated Italy 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Belgium earned the win in Mark van Bommel's managerial debut with goals from Mika Godts and Dodi Lukébakio, leaving Roberto Mancini defeated in his first match back with Italy.
- Kylian Mbappe scores the opening goal from a Michael Olise pass
- Desire Doue replaces the injured Kylian Mbappe
- Jules Kounde strikes the post for France
- Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir is sent off for handling outside the box
Results across other Nations League fixtures
In Stockholm, Sweden defeated Romania 2-1 with Alexander Isak scoring in the 20th minute, Dennis Man equalising nine minutes later, and Viktor Gyökeres converting the winner before half-time. Ukraine secured a 1-0 win over Hungary through a header by Danylo Sikan before Oleksandr Nazarenko received a late red card. Armenia claimed a 2-0 victory against Latvia with goals from Georgy Arutyunyan and Artur Garibyan, while Montenegro came from behind to defeat Cyprus 2-1 behind goals from Nikola Krstović and Milutin Osmajić. Meanwhile, England manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed that forward Cole Palmer withdrew from the English squad ahead of their match against Spain due to a muscle injury.
