France began a new era under Zinedine Zidane with a narrow 1-0 victory over Turkiye in their UEFA Nations League opener on Friday. While the result marked a successful start for the legendary French icon in his first managerial role since 2021, the evening was marred by a concerning knee injury to captain Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe, who was moved to the left wing by Zidane, provided the decisive moment in the match at Kocaeli Stadium near Istanbul. Following an assist from Michael Olise, the Real Madrid forward slotted home his 67th international goal with a low finish at the near post. Despite the goal, the striker was visibly uncomfortable and immediately required medical attention. Although he initially attempted to continue, he was eventually substituted for Desire Doue, leaving the French squad and Real Madrid anxiously awaiting a prognosis. 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. About 100km outside Istanbul, he winced in pain as his teammates came across to celebrate the goal at the Kocaeli Stadium in Izmit. But eventually slumped to the ground and looked concerned as he prodded the outside of his left knee, before walking off to be replaced by Desire Doue, mbappe tried to carry on after receiving treatment. 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, appointed to lead Les Bleus until 2030, saw his tactical adjustments highlighted by the positioning of his primary attacking threat, departing from the central role Mbappe held during the recent World Cup. The manager’s squad selection remained largely consistent with the previous setup, though Adrien Truffert and Rayan Cherki earned starting spots. Olise himself proved a constant danger, forcing a notable save from Turkiye goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir late in the first half.
The defensive stability of the French side was anchored by Mike Maignan, who preserved the lead by tipping a threatening attempt by Abdulkerim Bardakci over the bar early in the second half. As the match progressed, France maintained pressure, with defender Jules Kounde striking the post before the hosts were reduced to 10 men. In the closing stages, Cakir was sent off following a VAR review for handling the ball outside his penalty area while attempting to stop a breakaway by Bradley Barcola.
This fixture in Group A1 follows France’s semifinal exit at the World Cup at the hands of Spain. The team is now scheduled to travel to Brussels to face Belgium on Monday, with the Belgians coming off a 2-0 away win against Italy. Zidane’s focus will then shift to his home debut at the Stade de France next Friday, where he will face Italy—the same nation he encountered during his final appearance as a player in the 2006 World Cup final.
With three matches slated over the next ten days, the national team medical staff faces a frantic period to evaluate the severity of the skipper’s injury. For Turkiye, coached by Vincenzo Montella, the focus turns to their upcoming encounter against Italy on Monday.
