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Kylian Mbappé marked Zinedine Zidane’s first match as France coach with the winning goal against Türkiye, but the night ended with concern after the captain suffered a left-knee injury and was forced off.
Zinedine Zidane began his reign as France coach with a 1-0 Nations League victory over Türkiye on Friday, but the celebrations were overshadowed by an injury to captain and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé.
Mbappé scored France’s only goal shortly after the hour mark, extending his record as France’s all-time leading scorer to 67 international goals.
But the forward was unable to finish the match.
After scoring, Mbappé immediately appeared to feel discomfort around his left knee. He received treatment and initially attempted to continue, but eventually went down again before being replaced by Désiré Doué.
The French Football Federation later confirmed that Mbappé had suffered a tendon injury to his left knee and would leave the national-team camp to return to Madrid for treatment.
Mbappé Delivers Zidane’s First France Goal
Zidane’s first competitive match on the France bench produced a familiar sight — Mbappé finding the net.
The new coach moved his captain toward the left side of the attack, rather than using him centrally as Didier Deschamps had done during the recent World Cup.
The decision quickly paid off.
Michael Olise provided the decisive pass, allowing Mbappé to control the ball before firing a low shot toward the near post in the 55th minute.
It was a clinical finish from the Real Madrid forward and enough to give France three points.
But the goal was quickly forgotten when Mbappé began showing signs of pain.
Zidane’s Dream Return Comes at a Cost
The victory represented Zidane’s return to elite international management after leaving Real Madrid in 2021.
The 1998 World Cup winner had been appointed France coach in July following the end of Deschamps’ long tenure.
Zidane inherits a team that reached the World Cup semi-finals before losing to eventual champions Spain.
His first selection retained much of the core group that featured at the tournament, although Adrien Truffert started at left-back while Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki was also included in the starting XI.
Mbappé remains central to Zidane’s plans, with the new coach having already confirmed that he would retain the captaincy.
France Survive a Competitive Türkiye
The hosts were far from passive.
Türkiye created opportunities during the match, forcing France goalkeeper Mike Maignan into an important second-half save.
Earlier, Olise had nearly opened the scoring for France when his powerful effort was tipped over the crossbar by Türkiye goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır.
France eventually gained another advantage late in the match when Çakır was sent off.
The goalkeeper rushed outside his penalty area to stop substitute Bradley Barcola, who had broken through on goal.
German referee Felix Zwayer initially allowed play to continue before a VAR review determined that Çakır had handled the ball outside the area.
The red card left Türkiye with 10 players for the closing stages.
Mbappé Will Miss the Rest of the International Window
The injury means Mbappé will not continue with France during the remainder of the current international window.
France’s schedule includes a trip to face Belgium, followed by further Nations League meetings involving Italy and Belgium.
The timing will also concern Real Madrid, who will be monitoring the condition of their star forward ahead of the return to club football.
The French camp has indicated that Mbappé will return to Madrid for further treatment rather than remain with the national team.
The exact length of his absence will depend on further medical assessment.
A New Tactical Role for France’s Captain
One of the most interesting elements of Zidane’s debut was Mbappé’s positioning.
Under Deschamps, Mbappé was increasingly used through the middle of France’s attack.
Zidane instead moved him toward the left, the position in which he became one of the world’s most dangerous attackers during his earlier career.
Against Türkiye, the change produced the decisive goal.
Mbappé received the ball in a position that allowed him to attack the Turkish defence from the left before cutting toward goal and finishing at the near post.
It remains to be seen whether the role becomes a regular feature of Zidane’s France.
France Begin a New Era With Three Points
Despite the injury setback, France leave Türkiye with the result Zidane would have wanted from his first competitive match.
The victory gives the new coach an early foundation as he begins to shape his team.
But the immediate focus will now be on Mbappé.
For France, the captain’s importance extends beyond his goals. He is also the team’s leader and one of its primary attacking outlets.
His absence would therefore change the options available to Zidane during the remainder of the Nations League campaign.
African360 Sports Analysis
Zidane could hardly have asked for a more symbolic opening to his France tenure: a win, a Mbappé goal and a tactical change that immediately produced results.
Yet the injury to France’s captain has changed the mood around the victory.
The 1-0 result provides Zidane with a positive beginning, but his bigger challenge will be developing a France side capable of competing consistently while managing the enormous expectations surrounding the national team.
Mbappé’s move to the left also offers an early indication of how Zidane may seek to use his captain differently.
For now, however, the tactical debate takes a back seat to the medical situation.
France have started the Zidane era with a victory — but everyone in the French camp will now be waiting for positive news about Mbappé’s knee.
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