Zidane’s France Squad: Power and Upheaval
Zinedine Zidane has never been one for half-measures. His first 23-man France squad, unveiled today for the upcoming 2026–2027 Nations League campaign, confirms it. The new national team boss has chosen continuity where it matters, then taken a scalpel to the rest.
Fifteen World Cup veterans survive the cut, forming the spine of a group built to compete immediately, not just “transition.” At the head of it all, inevitably, stands Kylian Mbappé, still captain, still the reference point. Around him, Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé and Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise give France a front line that looks as dangerous on paper as any in Europe.
France will need that firepower. They’ve landed in a loaded League A group with Türkiye, Belgium, and Italy. Zidane’s first competitive steps on the touchline will not be gentle.
New Blood, New Message
The real story of this list lies just beneath the surface. Zidane has raided the next generation.
Five uncapped players have been drafted in, each selection carrying a clear message: reputation alone will not protect anyone. Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet earns his first senior call-up, stepping into the space left by the absent William Saliba. It is a bold elevation, but also a calculated one—Jacquet has been quietly rising in England, and now he walks into a back line in the middle of a rebuild.
He is not alone. Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes joins him, a nod to the future in a position France have often treated conservatively. Inter Milan full-back Andy Diouf is also in, adding energy and versatility on the flanks, a profile Zidane has always valued.
In midfield, Como playmaker Lucas Da Cunha is rewarded with a place after his rise in Italy. He brings craft between the lines, the sort of player who can change the rhythm of a match with one pass. Up front, Rennes forward Esteban Lepaul, last season’s top scorer in Ligue 1, finally forces the door open. Goals still speak loudest; Zidane has clearly been listening.
These are not token gestures. They are the early bricks in a structure aimed squarely at Euro 2028.
Big Names Out, Era Drawing to a Close
Fresh faces mean painful omissions. Zidane has not shied away from them.
N'Golo Kanté, Lucas Hernandez, Lucas Digne—names that have defined recent French cycles—are all out of this first squad. No farewell tour, no gentle phasing out. Just a clean, sharp line between what was and what comes next.
The absence of Arsenal centre-back William Saliba adds another layer. Without him, the defensive unit looks markedly different, and Zidane’s choices there underline his willingness to reshape the hierarchy. France have depth, but leaving out such experienced figures signals a manager ready to live and die by his own ideas, not by inherited structures.
This is not a revolution shouted from the rooftops. It is something more controlled, more deliberate. A tactical and generational reset, executed in one squad list.
A Brutal First Test Run
There will be no soft launch for the Zidane era.
France open away to Türkiye next Friday in Kocaeli, a notoriously hostile setting for any visiting side. It is the kind of night that quickly reveals who can handle the shirt and who still has work to do.
From there, the road hardens again. On September 28, France head to Brussels to face Belgium, a fixture that rarely drifts into friendly territory, no matter the competition. Then comes a return to the Stade de France for two heavyweight clashes: Italy on October 2, followed by a second meeting with Belgium on October 5.
By the time that run is over, Zidane will know a lot more about his new France. So will everyone else.
