Zinedine Zidane has never been one for half-measures. His first France squad as national team coach proves it.
Announced today ahead of the upcoming international break, the 23-man list is a deliberate collision of eras: the World Cup core kept intact, the next generation pushed straight into the spotlight, and a few heavyweights quietly moved aside.
This is not a gentle transition. It’s a reset with a clear timeline: the 2026-2027 Nations League now, Euro 2028 in the distance.
Mbappé Leads, Star Power Stays
The foundations remain unmistakably French and unmistakably elite.
Fifteen players from the recent World Cup squad are back, giving Zidane a spine that already knows what it means to play under suffocating pressure. At the front of it all, captain Kylian Mbappé. No debate, no surprise. He is the face of the project.
Alongside him stands Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, now carrying the weight of expectation that comes with that title, and Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, whose rise has been swift enough to feel inevitable. With that trio, France enter League A of the Nations League not as a team in transition, but as one expected to dominate.
They will need to. The draw is unforgiving: Türkiye, Belgium, and Italy. No soft landings there.
Five New Faces, One Clear Message
The headline beneath the star names is simple: Zidane is not waiting to blood the next wave.
Five uncapped players have been called up, each one a statement.
At the back, Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet steps into the void left by the absence of William Saliba. It is a significant show of trust. Saliba has been a reference point in recent years; Jacquet now gets the chance to prove he can grow into that role.
He is joined by Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, another newcomer, and Inter Milan full-back Andy Diouf, whose inclusion underlines Zidane’s willingness to look beyond the most obvious names in the biggest clubs.
Midfield brings another fresh profile: Como playmaker Lucas Da Cunha, rewarded for his influence and vision in Italy. He is the type of player who can change the tempo of a game, and Zidane has always valued that.
Up front, Rennes forward Esteban Lepaul completes the group of debutants. Top scorer in Ligue 1 last season, he could hardly be ignored. His call-up is less a surprise than a confirmation: if you dominate domestically, this France manager is watching.
These five are not token additions. They signal a clear intention to refresh the squad now, not after a failed cycle.
Big Names Left Behind
New blood comes at a cost. The omissions are as telling as the inclusions.
N'Golo Kanté, Lucas Hernandez, Lucas Digne – names that have defined recent chapters of the national team – are out of this first Zidane list. There is no sentimentality here, only a cold reading of where the team must go.
Their absence points to a coach already constructing a different tactical frame, one less anchored to the old guard. The decision to leave out Arsenal centre-back William Saliba only sharpens that impression. With him missing, the defensive line undergoes a real reshuffle, and Zidane has chosen to lean into that change rather than patch over it.
France have depth. They always do. But turning away from such experienced figures in a first squad sends a message: reputations will not protect anyone.
A Brutal Run-In to Start the Reign
There will be no time for Zidane to ease into the job.
France open the new era next Friday in Kocaeli against Türkiye, a trip that rarely feels comfortable. Then comes Brussels and a meeting with Belgium on September 28, a fixture loaded with recent history and familiar tension.
After that, the stage shifts to Paris.
The Stade de France will host Italy on October 2, a classic European clash with all its old scars and subplots, before Belgium return for a second encounter on October 5. By then, the tone of the Zidane tenure may already be set.
The squad he has chosen is bold, blended, and unapologetically forward-looking. The question now is simple: will this mix of hardened World Cup veterans and fearless newcomers carry France into a new cycle of dominance, or expose just how ruthless a rebuild can be at the very top?
