Zidane Names First France Squad: A New Era Begins
Zinedine Zidane walked into FFF headquarters in Paris and made it clear within minutes: this is his France now.
The new head coach, successor to Didier Deschamps after a 12-year reign, named his first 23-man squad and drove a stake firmly into the ground of a new generation. Jeremy Jacquet, Andy Diouf, Lucas Da Cunha, Guillaume Restes and Esteban Lepaul all earned their first senior call-ups, a wave of fresh faces that underlines where Zidane wants to take Les Bleus.
All five newcomers will head straight to Clairefontaine on Monday, dropped into the heart of the national setup with no easing-in period. No extended list, no standby group. Just 23 players, fully involved.
Zidane keeps it tight, keeps it clear
While many international managers lean on bloated squads, Zidane went the other way. He chose a compact group by design, determined that every player will have a genuine role to play across a brutal run of four matches in ten days.
He didn’t hide behind clichés either. Facing the media, he laid out precise tactical reasons for each new face, pointing to form, profiles and long-term potential rather than reputation.
Jacquet, now at Liverpool, drew particular praise. Zidane knows him well, and not just from television.
“I like Jacquet's profile a lot. I've followed him for a long time because he played alongside my son in the youth teams,” he said, underlining how long this rebuild has been in his mind rather than a reaction to one tournament or one result.
Inter Milan midfielder Diouf and Como’s Lucas Da Cunha also came in for strong backing, both seen as players who can drive the proactive, front-foot football Zidane wants to install.
“The game” is his obsession, he stressed. He wants a France side that plays, not just manages results.
Balancing the flanks, breaking with the past
Zidane’s first list wasn’t just about new names; it was about new structures. He spoke at length about versatility, especially in central midfield and at full-back, and moved decisively to reshape the edges of his team.
Adrien Truffert returns to the squad alongside Diouf, with Zidane keen to strengthen the outer channels of the pitch. Those choices came with consequences for some of the biggest names of France’s golden era.
N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema, both World Cup winners and pillars of the previous cycle, were left out. Not because of what they’ve done, but because of what Zidane wants to build.
“N'Golo is 35 and I have made choices, which are different,” he said. “I adore Karim, but he's a certain age. I need to see younger players and what we will do together.”
It was respectful, but ruthless. The message was unmistakable: the future takes priority, and it starts now.
Heavy schedule, no soft launch
There will be no gentle introduction for this new-look France. Zidane’s ideas will be tested immediately in a congested international window that offers little room for error and even less for hesitation.
Les Bleus travel first to Izmir to face Turkey on Friday, September 25, then head to Brussels to meet Belgium on September 28. After that, they return home to Saint-Denis for back-to-back fixtures: Italy on October 2, Belgium again on October 5.
Four games. Ten days. One new project under the microscope.
Mbappé stays at the helm
Amid all the change, one symbol of continuity remains. Kylian Mbappé keeps the armband, the captain entrusted with translating Zidane’s ideas from the touchline onto the pitch.
With a trimmed squad, a string of debutants and a demanding schedule, Zidane has chosen a high-wire act for his opening chapter. He wanted responsibility. Now he has it, wrapped in the boots of a new generation he insists is ready to play his way.
The question is no longer whether France are turning a page. It’s how quickly Zidane can write the next one.
