France secured a 1-0 victory over Turkiye in their UEFA Nations League clash on Friday, marking a winning start for Zinedine Zidane in his first match as national team head coach. The triumph, however, was marred by a knee injury sustained by captain Kylian Mbappe, who scored the only goal of the game before being forced off the pitch. About 100km outside Istanbul, he winced in pain as his teammates came across to celebrate the goal at the Kocaeli Stadium in Izmit.
Under Zidane, who took charge in late July with a contract running until 2030, Mbappe was shifted from the central attacking role he occupied at the recent World Cup to a position on the left wing. The tactical adjustment paid off quickly: after receiving a setup from Michael Olise, the Real Madrid forward fired a low shot into the near post. This strike marked his 67th international goal for his country.
The celebration was muted as the forward, who finished as the top scorer at the World Cup with 10 goals, immediately began grimacing in pain. Although he attempted to continue after initial treatment, he eventually slumped to the turf, clutching his left knee. He was subsequently substituted for Desire Doue, leaving both the French national setup and Real Madrid awaiting news on the severity of the injury as Les Bleus prepare for three matches over the next ten days. The Real Madrid star was moved out to the left wing by his new coach after being used through the middle of the France attack under former coach Didier Deschamps at the recent World Cup, which he ended as the top scorer with 10 goals. With Les Bleus playing three more games over the next 10 days before the club season resumes, france and Real will now nervously wait to discover the extent of the injury.
Zidane’s return to elite management, his first position since his second tenure at Madrid ended in 2021, involved a starting XI that retained much of the core from the previous regime. Notable changes included Adrien Truffert at left-back and Rayan Cherki in the midfield. France, who previously reached the World Cup semifinals, dominated portions of the play, with Jules Kounde hitting the post and Olise forcing a strong save from home goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir in the first half. The France legend and 1998 World Cup winner is making his return to elite coaching for the first time since his second stint in charge of Madrid ended in 2021.
Turkiye, managed by Vincenzo Montella, struggled to break down the French defense. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan made a crucial stop early in the second half to deny an effort from Abdulkerim Bardakci. The match grew increasingly difficult for the hosts when they were reduced to 10 men late in the game. Cakir was shown a red card following a VAR review after a clumsy challenge outside the area on substitute Bradley Barcola.
Following this result in Izmit, France is set to travel to Brussels to face Belgium on Monday, while Turkiye will host Italy on the same day. Belgium entered the fixture off the back of a 2-0 away win against Italy. Zidane, whose final appearance as a player occurred during the 2006 World Cup final against Italy, is scheduled to make his home debut as coach against the same opponents at the Stade de France next Friday.
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