Zidane’s France Takes Shape: Bold Calls for Nations League
Zinedine Zidane has wasted no time putting his stamp on France. After replacing Didier Deschamps in the summer, the new head coach named his first 23-man squad today for the upcoming international break and the 2026-2027 Nations League campaign. The message is clear: respect the past, but play for the future.
According to RMC Sport, Zidane has gone for a deliberate blend of hardened tournament experience and fresh energy. Fifteen members of the recent World Cup squad are retained, forming the backbone of a group expected to compete at the sharp end of League A, where France are drawn with Türkiye, Belgium, and Italy.
At the top of the bill, nothing changes. Kylian Mbappé remains captain and the face of the project. He is joined by Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé and Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, giving France a devastating attacking trio on paper and a clear attacking identity.
New blood, new direction
Around that familiar core, Zidane has dipped into France’s seemingly endless production line and pulled out five uncapped players, each one a statement.
In defence, Liverpool centre-back Jeremy Jacquet earns his first senior call-up, stepping in with William Saliba absent. Jacquet is not alone. Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes is rewarded with a place, as is Inter Milan full-back Andy Diouf, who brings versatility and drive on the flanks.
The refresh continues in midfield. Como playmaker Lucas Da Cunha is handed a spot, a nod to his creativity and control in tight spaces. Up front, Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, last season’s top scorer in Ligue 1, forces his way in on sheer numbers and form. His inclusion underlines Zidane’s willingness to trust domestic form, not just reputation.
Taken together, these five names are more than a curiosity. They signal a planned evolution ahead of the cycle leading to Euro 2028, rather than a slow, reluctant handover.
Big calls on big names
New faces mean casualties. Zidane has not shied away from difficult decisions.
N'Golo Kanté, Lucas Hernandez, and Lucas Digne are all left out of this first squad of the new era. These are not fringe figures, but long-serving pillars of the Deschamps years. Their omission points to a coach ready to turn the page and reshape the tactical structure, even if it means sidelining some of the most trusted veterans of the last decade.
The back line, in particular, is being reimagined. With Arsenal centre-back William Saliba missing, Zidane has chosen to reconfigure his defence rather than lean on the comfort of established names. France have depth, but leaving out such experienced profiles underlines how prepared he is to make tough, headline-grabbing calls in pursuit of a new balance.
A demanding start to the Zidane era
There will be no gentle warm-up for this project. France open the Zidane era next Friday away to Türkiye in Kocaeli, a notoriously intense setting for any visiting side.
From there, the tests only get sharper. France travel to Brussels to face Belgium on September 28, a clash that always carries extra weight. Then comes a return to the Stade de France, where Italy arrive on October 2 for what could be a defining early marker of Zidane’s tenure, before a second meeting with Belgium on October 5.
By the end of that run, the outline of Zidane’s France will be impossible to ignore. Will this mix of World Cup steel and fearless newcomers be enough to launch a new cycle of dominance, or mark the beginning of something very different for Les Bleus?
