Kylian Mbappe delivered the decisive moment and then delivered a scare. France opened the Zinedine Zidane era with a 1-0 win over Turkey in the UEFA Nations League on Friday, but the evening in Izmit was quickly defined by the sight of the captain grimacing, clutching at his left knee and eventually leaving the pitch after scoring the only goal of the game.
Mbappe's strike, his 67th international goal, came from the left side after Zidane deployed him in a wider role rather than through the middle, where he had been used under former coach Didier Deschamps at the recent World Cup. Set up by Michael Olise, the Real Madrid forward controlled the ball and fired low at the near post to put France ahead at the Kocaeli Stadium, just over 100 kilometres outside Istanbul. It was a finish that underlined his importance to the national team, but the celebration was immediately tempered by concern as he winced in pain while teammates rushed over to congratulate him.
He initially tried to continue after receiving treatment, but the discomfort worsened. Mbappe eventually slumped to the ground, visibly troubled as he prodded the outside of his left knee, before walking off to be replaced by Desire Doue. France and Real Madrid will now wait anxiously to learn the extent of the injury, with Les Bleus scheduled to play three more matches over the next 10 days before the club season resumes.
Zidane, who returned to elite coaching for the first time since his second spell in charge of Real Madrid ended in 2021, did not hide his concern after the match. "It's not great. Unfortunately, I think he's going to have to go home. We don't want to take any risks," he told broadcaster TF1. "He overextended his knee while shooting. It's not very encouraging."
The injury overshadowed what was otherwise a successful first outing for Zidane, who was appointed France coach in late July on a deal running to 2030. The 1998 World Cup winner and former France captain described the night as emotional, but also encouraging given the limited time he has had with the squad. "It was a really emotional night, but it was a successful debut in difficult surroundings. I think we played rather well. I saw a lot of interesting things, considering we have only had three and a half training sessions together. It's quite encouraging," he said.
France's performance suggested continuity as well as subtle change. Zidane's first selection was not dramatically different from the side that had featured regularly at the World Cup, though Bournemouth left-back Adrien Truffert came in for a start and Manchester City's Rayan Cherki was handed a place in the XI. The team looked composed for long stretches, with Olise particularly lively. The Bayern Munich attacker, one of France's standout performers at the World Cup, came close to opening the scoring late in the first half when his excellent effort was tipped over by Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.
France goalkeeper Mike Maignan was called into action early in the second half, pushing over an attempt from Abdulkerim Bardakci as Turkey tried to respond. The hosts, who had finished bottom of their World Cup group despite a 3-2 win over co-hosts the United States, struggled to create sustained pressure, though France were not entirely comfortable and had to wait until Mbappe's goal to make their superiority count.
The visitors later hit the post through Jules Kounde and then saw the game swing further in their favour when Turkey were reduced to 10 men late on. Cakir came flying out of his area to stop Bradley Barcola as the France substitute raced through on goal. German referee Felix Zwayer initially waved play on before turning to VAR and deciding the goalkeeper had handled the situation illegally, leaving Turkey to finish the match a man down.
France now move on to Brussels to face Belgium on Monday in another Group A1 fixture, with Belgium having beaten Italy 2-0 away on Friday. Zidane will then make his home debut as France coach against Italy at the Stade de France next Friday, a match that was already carrying significance before Mbappe's injury added another layer of uncertainty.
For Zidane, the result offered a promising start and a glimpse of the tactical adjustments he may bring. For France, it also served as a reminder of how much still rests on Mbappe's fitness. The captain scored, influenced the game and then left it in pain — a sequence that left Les Bleus with three points, but also with a major concern heading into a demanding run of fixtures.