Zidane's New France: A Bold Generation Shift
Zinedine Zidane walked into FFF headquarters in Paris and made it clear within minutes: this is his France now.
The new head coach, succeeding Didier Deschamps after a 12-year reign, named his first 23-man squad and drew a bold line under an era. Five uncapped players – Jeremy Jacquet, Andy Diouf, Lucas Da Cunha, Guillaume Restes and Esteban Lepaul – have been fast-tracked into the senior setup, a statement as much as a selection.
They will report straight to Clairefontaine on Monday, stepping into a training centre that suddenly feels like a laboratory for Zidane’s ideas.
A lean squad, a clear message
Zidane resisted the temptation to call up a bloated group. Just 23 players. No passengers, no tourists.
He wants everyone involved, everyone on edge, across a brutal run of four games in ten days. France travel to Izmir to face Turkey on September 25, then head to Brussels to meet Belgium on September 28, before closing the window with back-to-back fixtures in Saint-Denis against Italy on October 2 and Belgium on October 5.
Every session will matter. Every minute on the pitch will count. That is exactly how Zidane framed it.
Trust in form, faith in the future
Facing the media, Zidane went into the detail. He anchored his choices in two pillars: current form and long-term potential.
He lingered on Jeremy Jacquet, the Liverpool centre-back he knows well.
"I like Jacquet's profile a lot. I've followed him for a long time because he played alongside my son in the youth teams," Zidane said, underlining that this call-up is the result of years of observation, not a whim.
He also picked out Inter Milan midfielder Andy Diouf and Como’s Lucas Da Cunha for praise, positioning them as central to the dynamic, proactive style he wants to build with this new generation. The message was unmistakable: this is not a token refresh. This is the core of what comes next.
"They are players who deserve to be here, players I want to see," he said. "What inspires me is the game. I want to see these players and this team playing."
Edges of the pitch, edges of an era
Zidane’s squad list revealed another theme: versatility, especially in central midfield and at full-back.
Adrien Truffert returns to the fold, paired conceptually with Diouf as options to strengthen the outer lanes. Zidane clearly wants full-backs and midfielders who can slide into different roles, adapt to different game states, and sustain the aggressive, front-foot football he keeps referencing.
That evolution comes at a cost. Big names miss out.
N’Golo Kanté and Karim Benzema, both World Cup winners, both icons of the previous cycle, were left out as Zidane pushed the door wide open for younger legs and fresher lungs.
"Choosing Andy Diouf and Truffert is a strong choice. They are capable of playing in this position," he explained. "N'Golo is 35 and I have made choices, which are different. I adore Karim, but he's a certain age. I need to see younger players and what we will do together."
No sentiment. No half-measures. Zidane framed it as a necessary step to build a team that can carry his tactical demands into the next few years, not just the next window.
Mbappé stays at the helm
Through all the change, one constant remains: Kylian Mbappé keeps the armband.
With a reshaped dressing room and a coach intent on imposing a more attractive, proactive style, the captain’s role grows even heavier. Mbappé becomes the bridge between eras – the superstar who must lead a squad that now includes Jacquet, Diouf, Da Cunha, Restes and Lepaul, players trying to turn a first call-up into a permanent place.
Four games in ten days will offer few hiding places. Zidane has his group, his ideas, his captain. Now comes the real test: can this new France play the way he imagines, at the speed international football demands?
