Zidane names five uncapped players in first France squad for Nations League | OneFootball

Zinedine Zidane has named a 23-man France squad for the Nations League, including five uncapped players, as his tenure begins. Kylian Mbappe leads an experienced core.

The former Real Madrid coach replaced Didier Deschamps in the summer. According to RMC Sport, he has chosen to blend experience with youth for the 2026-2027 campaign.

Fifteen members of the recent World Cup group are retained. Captain Mbappe is joined by Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise. France will compete in League A with Türkiye, Belgium and Italy.

First call-ups go to Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet, Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes and Inter Milan full-back Andy Diouf. Como playmaker Lucas Da Cunha and Rennes forward Esteban Lepaul also make the list. Jacquet steps in with William Saliba unavailable.

Notable omissions include N'Golo Kante, Lucas Hernandez and Lucas Digne. The choices point to future planning and a refreshed tactical approach.

France start away to Türkiye in Kocaeli next Friday, then visit Belgium in Brussels on September 28. They return to the Stade de France to face Italy on October 2, before hosting Belgium on October 5.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”