Zinedine Zidane marked his home debut as France manager with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Italy at the Stade de France on Friday. Before a sell-out crowd of 77,118, the 54-year-old icon oversaw his first match at the national stadium since his 100th international cap against Mexico in May 2006. His appointment has brought renewed focus to the squad as they prepare for the Euro 2028 cycle. Beyond the spotlight on his past, Zidane is trying to stamp his mark on the France team in this Nations League campaign, with one eye on the next major tournament, Euro 2028.
Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise continued his remarkable run of form, scoring his second goal in four days. After netting a solo winner against Belgium earlier in the week, Olise smashed a free-kick in off the crossbar in the 55th minute. The goal followed a clever layoff from Rayan Cherki, breaking the deadlock after a sustained period of French pressure during the second half. Four days after coming off the bench to score a stunning solo effort to give France a 1-0 win in Belgium, Bayern Munich star Olise again showcased his spectacular talent by smashing a shot in off the crossbar from a free kick early in the second half.
However, the lead was short-lived. Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni capitalized on a mistake, dispossessing Lucas Da Cunha outside the penalty area to secure an equalizer for the visitors. The result prevented Zidane from securing three consecutive wins to start his tenure as Les Bleus boss. However, Bastoni caught Da Cunha in possession just outside the France box and was left with an easy finish to pull the visitors level.
Italy, currently rebuilding under returning coach Roberto Mancini, looked the more relieved side at the final whistle, largely due to an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The former Paris Saint-Germain stopper made a series of crucial saves to deny Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Adrien Rabiot, and Eduardo Camavinga, keeping Italy within reach throughout the match. The hosts turned up the volume after the break and Donnarumma saved from Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Olise before the latter crashed in the opener on 55 minutes when Rayan Cherki laid off a dead ball.
The match featured plenty of tension, including an early disallowed goal for Italy’s Moise Kean due to offside. Kean had previously missed a prime opportunity when he failed to beat Mike Maignan following an intricate buildup. France’s evening became more complicated late on when defender Dayot Upamecano was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card in the 85th minute.
Despite the draw, France remains at the top of UEFA Nations League Group A1 with seven points. Belgium sits just one point behind following their 3-0 victory over Turkiye. France and Belgium are set to face off on Monday in their final fixture of the current international window, while Italy, holding four points, will prepare to host Turkiye.
Zidane’s return to the Stade de France carried symbolic weight, as his last competitive appearance as a player was the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin against Italy. He was famously sent off in that match—his career finale—following an incident with Marco Materazzi.
The squad faced the challenge without captain Kylian Mbappe, who returned to Real Madrid after sustaining a knee injury during the victory over Turkiye. Despite the absence, Zidane introduced new faces, including Jeremy Jacquet and Lucas Da Cunha, as part of his strategy to integrate fresh talent across his roster.
