Zidane announces first France squad — five debutants, Tchouaméni omitted
The new France coach called 23 players for Nations League matches, mixing World Cup veterans with five uncapped players.
Zinedine Zidane unveiled his first France squad on 18 September 2026, naming 23 players for the opening UEFA Nations League matches of his tenure. The announcement ends Didier Deschamps' long spell in charge and starts a new cycle ahead of Euro 2028.
The group is assembled for four fixtures: away to Turkey on 25 September, away to Belgium on 28 September, the home game with Italy on 2 October at the Stade de France, and a return match with Belgium on 5 October. Zidane kept the roster compact, selecting a 23-man squad for the window.
([sofoot.com](https://www.sofoot.com/breves/da-cunha-lepaul-jacquet-restes-diouf-voici-la-premiere-liste-de-zinedine-zidane-en-tant-que-selectionneur-de-lequipe-de-france?utm_source=openai))Experience plus fresh faces
Zidane relied heavily on the core of players who featured for France at the 2026 World Cup — led by captain Kylian Mbappé, Ballon d’Or winner Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise — with 15 World Cup participants included overall. At the same time the coach opened the door to newcomers.
([goal.com](https://www.goal.com/en/news/zidane-reveals-his-first-squad-with-france-a-host-of-surprises/blt1fa7252828516275?utm_source=openai))Five players received their first senior call-ups: goalkeeper Guillaume Restes (Toulouse), right‑back Jérémy Jacquet (Liverpool), wing‑back Andy Diouf (Inter Milan), midfielder Lucas Da Cunha (Como) and forward Estéban Lepaul (Rennes). Jacquet’s selection comes amid the continued absence of William Saliba, who has been managed carefully after a back problem since the World Cup.
([goal.com](https://www.goal.com/en/news/zidane-reveals-his-first-squad-with-france-a-host-of-surprises/blt1fa7252828516275?utm_source=openai))At the same time Zidane left out several established names as he begins to reshape the squad: Aurélien Tchouaméni, N'Golo Kanté, Lucas Hernandez and Lucas Digne are not in the list, while Marcus Thuram, Malo Gusto and Corentin Tolisso also miss out. The omission of familiar faces signals Zidane is setting his own course for the Euro 2028 cycle.
([rtl.fr](https://www.rtl.fr/sport/football/premiere-liste-de-zinedine-zidane-les-bleus-avec-cinq-nouveaux-venus-tchouameni-kante-et-hernandez-non-retenus-7900673364?utm_source=openai))Photo: press material from the event
