Zinedine Zidane did not bother with suspense. On Friday, in his first squad announcement as France coach, he confirmed what many expected but still wanted to hear out loud: Kylian Mbappe will captain Les Bleus.
The armband passes from one World Cup‑winning icon to another era’s standard-bearer. Deschamps is gone after 14 years, a World Cup title and a near-permanent presence in the latter stages of major tournaments. In steps Zidane, his former midfield partner from 1998 and Euro 2000, now entrusted with reshaping a team that came up short in the World Cup semi-finals against eventual champions Spain.
Mbappe may have left that tournament without the trophy, but not without authority. He finished as the competition’s top scorer with 10 goals and looked every inch a leader, driving France forward and demanding the ball when others shrank. Zidane has seen enough. The Real Madrid superstar will be his captain, his reference point, his voice on the pitch.
Zidane’s second act with Les Bleus
The appointment of Zidane at the end of July on a four-year deal always felt like a return as much as a new beginning. The 54-year-old, a former Ballon d’Or winner and serial Champions League victor as a coach, carries his own mythology in French football. He also carries scars: his last act as a player for France remains that infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final defeat to Italy.
Now he walks back into the Stade de France not as the flawed genius in boots, but as the man in charge of the next generation.
His reign begins in the unforgiving rhythm of the UEFA Nations League. France travel to Turkey next Friday, then face Belgium in Brussels on September 28. The first home outing under Zidane comes against Italy on October 2 at the Stade de France, followed three days later by another meeting with Belgium in Paris. No gentle warm-up. No soft landing.
Fresh faces, bold calls
Zidane’s first squad list underlines that this is not a ceremonial handover. It is a reset.
At the back, 21-year-old centre-back Jeremy Jacquet earns a call-up after impressing since his summer move to Liverpool. A rapid rise, rewarded with a place among the elite. Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes joins him as another new option between the posts, while Andy Diouf, used as a midfielder or wing-back at Inter Milan, also steps into the senior setup.
In attack, Ligue 1’s top scorer from last season, Esteban Lepaul of Rennes, gets his first taste of the national team environment. Lucas Da Cunha, now at Como in Serie A, is included in midfield, a sign that Zidane is willing to cast the net beyond the traditional giants if the talent justifies it.
The message is clear: reputation alone no longer guarantees a place.
That becomes even sharper when you scan the absentees. Aurelien Tchouameni, a key figure in midfield at the World Cup and now at Real Madrid, is not in this squad. Marcus Thuram, the Inter forward who featured in Qatar, is also left out. William Saliba, the Arsenal defender, misses out through injury, but his name on the unavailable list underlines how fierce the competition has become.
This is not a transitional France side clinging to old certainties. Zidane is pruning early.
The spine around Mbappe
There is still experience and star power everywhere you look. Mike Maignan anchors the goalkeeping group, backed by Robin Risser and Restes. The defensive line includes Ibrahima Konate, now at Real Madrid, Jules Kounde of Barcelona, Dayot Upamecano from Bayern Munich, and versatile options such as Pierre Kalulu and Adrien Truffert.
Midfield looks typically French: technical, athletic, and young. Eduardo Camavinga returns from Real Madrid, joined by Warren Zaire-Emery, the latest jewel from Paris Saint-Germain. Adrien Rabiot offers continuity and steel, with Manu Kone, Rayan Cherki, and Da Cunha adding creativity and drive.
Up front, the cast around Mbappe is as explosive as it is varied. Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue represent PSG’s wide threat, Bradley Barcola arrives from Liverpool, Michael Olise brings Bayern Munich pedigree, and Lepaul steps in with his Ligue 1 goalscoring form.
Mbappe sits at the centre of it all. Captain, talisman, and now the public face of Zidane’s France.
A new era, no hiding place
The fixtures offer no time for nostalgia. Turkey away is rarely gentle, Italy at the Stade de France always carries emotional weight, and Belgium remain one of Europe’s most technically gifted sides. Zidane has chosen this moment to inject youth, test new partnerships, and hand the dressing room keys to his brightest star.
Deschamps built a culture of resilience and results, crowned by Moscow in 2018. Zidane inherits that legacy but seems intent on adding his own imprint: more responsibility for Mbappe, more room for emerging talent, and a willingness to leave big names at home.
The Nations League will not define his tenure, but it will set the tone. Under a new captain and an old legend on the bench, France are stepping into a different chapter. How quickly this reshaped side can turn promise into trophies will now be the question that follows Zidane everywhere he goes.
