Mbappe holds the key as Zidane’s France reign begins against Turkey | OneFootball

Zinedine Zidane begins his reign as France’s manager when they face Turkey in the UEFA Nations League at Kocaeli Stadyumu on Friday.

Zidane will be tasked with building on the success of his predecessor, Didier Deschamps, who led Les Bleus for 14 years.

Deschamps guided France to two World Cup finals, winning the 2018 tournament. They also reached the 2016 European Championship final.

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe could be key to Zidane’s hopes of success.

Mbappe is France’s leading scorer and captain. He also impressed at the 2026 World Cup, where he won the Golden Boot.

The 27-year-old has tallied 10 goal involvements across all competitions this season, the second-highest among French players in Europe’s top five leagues.

Mbappe is expected to lead the attack against Turkey, with Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele likely to join him if Zidane sticks to his favoured 4-3-3 formation.

The trio started together in seven of France’s eight matches in a front four that included either Bradley Barcola or Desire Doue.

Les Bleus boast Europe’s best attacking talent, but finding the right balance, particularly against quality opponents, could determine Zidane’s success.

Their defeat to Spain in the World Cup semi-final underlined the challenge, highlighting the need to complement France’s attacking quality with greater overall balance.

France are overwhelming favourites for Friday’s clash against Turkey, making it the ideal game for Zidane to show his approach will differ from his predecessor’s.