Zinedine Zidane’s debut as head coach of France was marked by a 1-0 victory over Turkey on September 26, but the win was overshadowed by a significant injury to team captain Kylian Mbappé. The match took place at the Kocaeli Stadium in İzmit, near Istanbul, as part of the UEFA Nations League Group A1 fixtures.
Mbappé opened the scoring nine minutes into the second half, finishing a well-placed low shot after a precise pass from Michael Olise. However, during the goal attempt, the Real Madrid forward suffered a left knee injury, later identified as a tendon problem. Despite initially trying to continue, Mbappé left the pitch shortly after and will return to Madrid for treatment. Zidane expressed concern over the injury, stating there would be no risks taken with the player’s recovery, implying Mbappé may miss the upcoming competitive fixtures, including France’s next Nations League match against Belgium in Brussels.
The game itself was tense and somewhat scrappy, influenced by a challenging playing surface. Turkey ended the match with 10 players after goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır was sent off late in the second half for a handball outside the penalty area while denying a shot from Bradley Barcola. France managed to maintain their narrow lead despite this.
Elsewhere in international football, Italy’s much-anticipated return of coach Roberto Mancini did not begin positively. Italy lost 2-0 to Belgium in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico before a sparse crowd just over 47,000 in the 70,000-seat stadium. Mika Godts, a recent signing by Paris Saint-Germain from Ajax, scored early for Belgium, with Dodi Lukebakio doubling the lead in the second half. Mancini acknowledged the frustration after Italy’s three consecutive failures to qualify for the World Cup and called for a constructive outlook moving forward, noting that the hostile response from home fans was an understandable reaction.
In UEFA Nations League League B, Northern Ireland secured a historic 1-0 away win against Georgia thanks to a late goal from Shea Charles, following a crucial penalty save by his younger brother Pierce Charles. Meanwhile, Ukraine achieved a 1-0 victory over Hungary, despite finishing with ten men due to Oleksandr Nazarenko’s late red card. Group B action also saw Sweden defeat Romania 2-1 with goals from Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres, while Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina played to a goalless draw.
In League C, Armenia and Montenegro recorded 2-0 and 2-1 home wins over Latvia and Cyprus, respectively. The Nations League schedule continues with further matches, including a notable encounter between England and World Cup champions Spain.