Kylian Mbappé gave Zinedine Zidane the perfect start as France coach, then left the field minutes later with a knee injury. The captain scored the only goal in France's 1-0 UEFA Nations League win over Türkiye on Sept. 25, but the celebration quickly turned into concern.
The injury forced Mbappé out of the remainder of France's international camp and sent him back to Real Madrid for treatment. Zidane's first competitive match on the France bench therefore delivered both a victory and an immediate concern surrounding his captain.
France entered the match with Zidane beginning a new chapter after Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure. The former France midfielder and 1998 World Cup winner was appointed after the 2026 World Cup, taking charge of the national team for the first time.
Zidane's first lineup also included a positional change for Mbappé. Rather than playing centrally as he had during the World Cup, the captain started on the left, with Ousmane Dembélé operating through the middle.
The adjustment produced the decisive moment in the 54th minute. Michael Olise supplied Mbappé, who controlled the ball before sending a low finish into the near corner to put France ahead in Kocaeli.
Mbappé's finish was significant beyond the scoreline. It was his 67th international goal for France, extending his record as the country's all-time leading scorer. He reached that total in his 107th appearance for Les Bleus .
The celebration, however, was interrupted by pain in his left knee. Mbappé appeared to feel the problem during the shooting action and remained on the field briefly after receiving attention from France's medical staff.
His discomfort soon became too much to ignore. Mbappé eventually went down again and was replaced by Désiré Doué in the 59th minute, only 5 minutes after scoring the goal that had given France the lead.
After the match, Zidane said the situation was not encouraging and that France would not take unnecessary risks with its captain. The French coach indicated that Mbappé needed to return to Madrid rather than remain with the national team.
The French Football Federation subsequently described the problem as a tendon injury in Mbappé's knee. Reports identified the affected area as Mbappé's left knee and confirmed that he would leave the national team camp.
The immediate decision was therefore precautionary rather than an attempt to keep Mbappé involved through the international window. His return to Real Madrid allows the club to manage his recovery while further medical assessment determines the extent of the injury.
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Zidane's decision came shortly after Mbappé had delivered the result France needed. The coach had little reason to keep his captain on the field after the forward reported discomfort, particularly with several Nations League fixtures still scheduled.
Mbappé's departure also reflected the broader importance of managing France's captain during the opening stretch of the new coaching era. Zidane had already confirmed that the Real Madrid forward would retain the captaincy after taking over from Deschamps.
The timing made the decision especially notable. France had secured a lead, but the match remained competitive, meaning keeping an injured Mbappé on the field could have posed unnecessary risk without guaranteeing any additional reward. Zidane instead made the substitution.
Despite losing its captain, France held on to the advantage and finished with a 1-0 victory. The official match record shows Mbappé scoring in the 54th minute before Doué replaced him in the 59th, while Türkiye failed to find an equalizer.
France's defense came under pressure as the match neared its conclusion, but the visitors maintained their narrow advantage. Türkiye goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır was sent off in the 87th minute for a handball, further reducing the hosts' chances of changing the result.
The victory placed France second in Nations League Group A1 after the opening round, behind Belgium on goal difference. Belgium began the campaign with a 2-0 victory over Italy , while France collected 3 points from its win in Türkiye.
France's Nations League schedule leaves little time between matches. UEFA lists Belgium as France's next opponent on Sept. 28, followed by Italy on Oct. 2 and another meeting with Belgium on Oct. 5.
Mbappé's injury means he will not take part in those upcoming matches during the current international window. French reports confirmed that he was ruled out for the remaining games after the injury suffered against Türkiye.
France also decided not to replace Mbappé in the squad for the remaining fixtures. That leaves Zidane with the players already available as he prepares for the next phase of his first Nations League campaign as national-team coach.
Source: Musiu0/Depositphotos
Mbappé's absence gives Zidane an immediate selection challenge. The coach had used the captain on the left against Türkiye, while Dembélé played centrally, but that arrangement cannot be repeated with Mbappé unavailable.
The situation also provides an early test of France's attacking depth. Doué replaced Mbappé against Türkiye, while Bradley Barcola was introduced later for Olise. Zidane now has to decide how to reshape the attack without France's leading international scorer.
The timing is particularly relevant because Zidane is still establishing his approach after replacing Deschamps. France's opening victory provided 3 points, but the injury means the coach must make adjustments almost immediately rather than gradually building his preferred lineup.
The France reunion between Zidane and Mbappé carries an unusual history. Before Mbappé became a global star, Zidane was already connected to his career, helping bring the teenager to Real Madrid's training complex when Mbappé was 13 or 14.
Mbappé recently recalled that early meeting while discussing Zidane's appointment. He said the experience of now having Zidane as his France coach felt "like something out of a movie," highlighting how their professional paths had crossed years before this new chapter.
Their first match together, therefore, produced a memorable but complicated beginning. Zidane earned his first victory as France coach, while Mbappé scored the opening goal of the new era before leaving injured and returning to Madrid for treatment.
Fun fact:Zinedine Zidane personally picked up a 13-year-old Kylian Mbappé and drove him to Real Madrid's training ground in December 2012.
Kylian Mbappé scored France's only goal in a 1-0 win over Türkiye.
The goal was Mbappé's 67th for France in 107 appearances.
He injured his left knee during the scoring action and was substituted in the 59th minute.
The French Football Federation confirmed a knee tendon injury.
Mbappé left the France camp and returned to Real Madrid for treatment.
He is set to miss France's remaining Nations League matches in the current international window.
Zinedine Zidane earned his first victory as France coach.
France's next Nations League match is against Belgium on Sept. 28.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
