In Zidane's first match, France conquer Türkiye in UEFA Nations League

France secured a 1-0 victory against Türkiye in their UEFA Nations League opener, played at Kocaeli Stadium. This match marked Zinedine Zidane's first game as manager of Les Bleus.

The French national team did not deliver the expected performance, especially during the first half, amid the significant tactical discipline from the Turkish team, which succeeded in limiting the danger posed by the players of France and matching their opponent during most periods of the match.

The first half ended in a goalless draw, before Kylian Mbappé succeeded in opening the scoring for the French national team, after receiving a pass from Michael Olise inside the penalty area, before successfully shooting the ball into the net.

Kylian Mbappé's joy at scoring was short-lived as he suffered an injury shortly after his goal. The medical staff intervened to provide the necessary treatment before the player attempted to continue the match, but he fell to the ground again after a few minutes. The coaching staff, led by Zinedine Zidane, decided to substitute him, with Désiré Doué coming on in the 59th minute.

Turkey suffered another blow in the 87th minute when the referee brandished a red card to goalkeeper Çakır after consulting the Video Assistant Referee for a handball outside the penalty area, leaving the hosts to finish the match with ten players.

With this victory, France earned their first three points in the group, while Türkiye remains without a point, level with Italy, who lost to Belgium.