Zidane’s First Squad: France's Bold New Era Begins
Zinedine Zidane has shown his hand. And it’s anything but timid.
In his first 23-man squad since taking over from Didier Deschamps in the summer, the new France coach has chosen a hard blend of continuity and rupture, stitching together World Cup regulars with a fresh wave of untested talent for the 2026-2027 Nations League.
This is not a gentle transition. It’s a reset with a clear direction.
Mbappé Leads, Dembele Shines, Olise Arrives
The backbone remains familiar. Fifteen players from the recent World Cup campaign are in, ensuring France don’t lose the competitive edge that has defined the Deschamps years.
Kylian Mbappé stays at the centre of it all, the undisputed captain and figurehead of the project. Around him, Zidane leans on star power: Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise headline an attacking unit built to hurt opponents, not just control them.
France will need that edge. They’ve landed in a demanding Nations League group in League A, drawn against Türkiye, Belgium, and Italy. It’s a section where any hesitation gets punished. Zidane has picked a squad that looks designed to play on the front foot.
Five New Faces, One Clear Message
The real statement lies in the new names.
Zidane has turned to five uncapped players, a bold injection of youth that signals a new cycle building towards Euro 2028.
Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet is perhaps the headline among them. He earns his first senior call-up in the absence of William Saliba, a decision that instantly raises expectations around the young centre-back. With Saliba out, this is not a token inclusion. It’s an opening.
Jacquet is joined by Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, rewarded for his rise with a place among the elite, and Inter Milan full-back Andy Diouf, whose versatility and energy offer Zidane fresh options down the flank.
In midfield, Como playmaker Lucas Da Cunha steps into the international frame, a nod to his growing influence at club level. Up front, Rennes forward Esteban Lepaul, last season’s top scorer in Ligue 1, finally gets the recognition his numbers demand. His presence gives France a different profile in attack: a penalty-box finisher in a squad often built around fluid forwards.
These five aren’t just depth pieces. They’re signals. Zidane is not waiting for the old guard to fade; he’s accelerating the turnover.
Big Names Out as Zidane Cuts the Cord
New blood means casualties.
Zidane has left out several long-serving figures of the national team: N'Golo Kante, Lucas Hernandez, and Lucas Digne are all omitted from this first squad. Names that once felt automatic now find themselves on the outside looking in.
The message is blunt. Reputation alone will not carry anyone into this France side.
Kante’s absence, in particular, underlines a shift in the heart of midfield, while the omission of Hernandez and Digne hints at a broader rethinking of the defensive structure. With Arsenal centre-back William Saliba also missing, the back line undergoes significant reshaping.
France have depth, and Zidane is clearly willing to test it. Dropping such experienced figures at the very start of his tenure shows he’s prepared to make uncomfortable calls to build a team in his own image, not simply inherit one.
A Demanding Start: Türkiye, Belgium, Italy Await
There will be no soft launch for the Zidane era.
France open their campaign next Friday away to Türkiye in Kocaeli, a fixture that promises intensity on and off the pitch. It’s the kind of environment that quickly reveals whether a new group has personality.
From there, the schedule tightens. On September 28, France travel to Brussels to face Belgium, a meeting with a familiar rival that still carries the edge of recent years. Then comes a return to the Stade de France, where Italy await on October 2 in a clash loaded with tactical intrigue and history.
Four days later, Belgium again, this time in Paris on October 5, closes a brutal early run of fixtures.
By then, the picture will be clearer. Will the uncapped players look like long-term pillars or short-term experiments? Will the absence of Kante, Hernandez, Digne, and Saliba feel like visionary bravery or unnecessary risk?
Zidane has made his choices. The Nations League will show whether this is the start of a new dynasty, or the first test of how much change France can handle at once.
