France XI vs Turkiye – Predicted lineup and team news

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·25 September 2026

France XI vs Turkiye – Predicted lineup and team news

France and Turkey are set to face off in their first UEFA Nations League A match on Friday, with the game taking place at the Turca Arac Muayene Kocaeli Stadium.

France begins this campaign under the leadership of Zinedine Zidane, marking a fresh chapter after a turbulent summer under former manager Didier Deschamps. Les Bleus had a commanding World Cup knockout run, securing clean-sheet victories against Sweden, Paraguay, and Morocco. However, their campaign stumbled with a semi-final loss to Spain and a wild 6-4 third-place match defeat to England. Averaging more than two goals per game in recent matches, the squad boasts tremendous attacking power but is now focused on shoring up a defence that looked unusually vulnerable in July.

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This match represents Zinedine Zidane’s first competitive outing as France manager, following Didier Deschamps’ exit.

A major positive for the French side is the return of captain Kylian Mbappé, who has been cleared to start after recovering from flu-like symptoms that affected his training earlier in the week.

Despite this, France does have some significant absentees. Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni is sidelined due to a groin injury, and forward Marcus Thuram

Hugo Ekitike and Jean-Philippe Mateta did not join the squad on the trip. Zidane has taken the opportunity presented by these absences to introduce a group of energetic young players.

Promising attackers Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, and Désiré Doué have all been added to the 23-man roster and are expected to take on important roles, supplying pace and creativity in support of Mbappé.