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

Kylian Mbappe holds the key as Zidane’s France reign begins against Turkey Zinedine Zidane begins his reign as France’s head coach 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 was in charge of Les Bleus for 14 years. Deschamps led France to two World Cup finals, winning the 2018 tournament, as well as the 2021 UEFA Nations League title and reaching the Euro 2016 final. Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe could be key to Zidane’s success, just like he did under Deschamps. 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 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 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 the best attacking talents in Europe, but finding the right balance to the team, particularly against quality opponents, could determine Zidane’s success. Their defeat to Spain in the World Cup semi-final underlined the challenge, with the result 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 right game Zidane to show that his approach will be different from his predecessor.