Zidane’s First France Squad: A Bold Reset with Star Power

Zinedine Zidane has put his name to a France squad at last. And his first 23-man list makes one thing crystal clear: the World Cup winner is not here to simply maintain Didier Deschamps’ legacy. He intends to reshape it.

Announced today ahead of the upcoming international break, Zidane’s inaugural selection for the 2026-2027 Nations League campaign leans on a strong World Cup core but cuts sharply into the hierarchy that has defined Les Bleus for the past decade.

Mbappé Leads, Dembele and Olise Headline Star-Studded Core

Fifteen players from the recent World Cup return, giving Zidane a solid backbone for his first competitive steps in League A. The squad is fronted by captain Kylian Mbappé, the undisputed face of the national team project, flanked by Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Bayern Munich’s electric winger Michael Olise.

France will need that firepower. They’ve been drawn into a heavyweight Nations League group alongside Türkiye, Belgium, and Italy, a pool that leaves little room for experimentation once the whistle blows.

Yet Zidane is experimenting anyway — with conviction.

Five New Faces Signal a New Cycle

The most striking feature of this first list is the injection of youth. Zidane has reached into France’s seemingly endless talent stream and pulled out five uncapped players, all handed a chance to stake an early claim ahead of the Euro 2028 cycle.

Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet is perhaps the headline newcomer, called up for the first time in the absence of Arsenal centre-back William Saliba. Jacquet’s promotion immediately alters the dynamic at the back, where experience has long been the default currency.

He is joined by Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, a rising name between the posts, and Inter Milan full-back Andy Diouf, whose versatility offers Zidane fresh options in wide defensive areas.

In midfield, Como playmaker Lucas Da Cunha earns a place, rewarded for his rise with a shot at international football’s highest level. Up front, Rennes forward Esteban Lepaul, last season’s top scorer in Ligue 1, gets the nod after forcing his way into the conversation with relentless domestic form.

These five are not token selections. They are a statement. Zidane is not waiting for a transitional phase to arrive — he is starting it himself.

Big Names Out as Zidane Cuts Ties with the Past

New blood means casualties. Zidane has not shied away from difficult calls.

N’Golo Kanté, Lucas Hernandez, and Lucas Digne — pillars of previous eras — are all left out of this first squad. Their omission underlines a clear shift: respect for past service, but no guarantees for the future.

The absence of Saliba compounds the sense of a defensive reset. Without one of Europe’s most established centre-backs, Zidane has chosen to reshape his back line rather than lean on familiar names. For a coach in his first international job, those are bold moves, not cautious ones.

The message is stark. Reputation alone will not carry anyone into this France side.

A New Era Begins in Türkiye

The Zidane era on the touchline begins next Friday in Kocaeli, where France face Türkiye in what already feels like more than a routine Nations League opener. Every selection, every substitution, every tactical tweak will be read as a clue to the direction of this new project.

From there, the tests only intensify. France travel to Brussels to meet Belgium on September 28, before returning to the Stade de France for a marquee clash with Italy on October 2. A second meeting with Belgium follows on October 5, closing a brutal early run that will quickly reveal whether this blend of hardened World Cup performers and fearless newcomers can hold its nerve.

Zidane has shown his hand with his first list: no sacred cows, no half-measures, and no fear of change. The names are on the paper. Now the question is simple — how quickly can this new France grow into his image?