Turkey vs France Nations League: Zidane's Debut and Match Details

UEFA Nations League Opener: Turkey vs France

The 2026-27 UEFA Nations League season began with a high-profile clash between the Turkey national football team and the france national football team on Friday, September 25, 2026. The match took place at the Kocaeli Stadium in İzmit, Turkey, marking the opening fixture of the League A group [1].

Zinedine Zidane's Debut as France Head Coach

This fixture was highly anticipated as the first match under new manager Zinedine Zidane [2]. Zidane took over the role following the departure of Didier Deschamps, who left after France finished fourth at the 2026 World Cup [1]. For his debut, Zidane named Kylian Mbappé as captain of the side [2].

The match served as the start of a three-week international window for france football, with subsequent fixtures scheduled against Belgium and Italy [2].

Turkey vs France Nations League Standings Context

For those searching for Turkey vs France Nations League standings, it is important to note that because this match was the opening fixture of the 2026-27 season, there were no existing group standings prior to the game. The result of this france vs turkey encounter provides the first set of points for their respective positions in League A.

Head-to-Head History and Team News

Historically, the turkey vs france matchup has favored the French side. In the six meetings prior to this fixture, France claimed four wins, Turkey secured one win, and one match ended in a draw [2]. The most recent encounter before September 2026 was a 1-1 draw in Paris during the Euro 2020 qualifiers in 2019 [1].

Both teams faced significant injury challenges heading into the game. Turkey was without key playmakers Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Kenan Yıldız [1]. France's squad was depleted in defense, missing William Saliba and Ibrahima Konaté [1].

Predicted Lineups

Based on pre-match analysis, the following formations and players were projected for the fixture:

Team	Predicted Formation	Projected Key Players
Turkey	4-3-3	Arda Güler, Yılmaz, Aktürkoğlu
France	4-2-3-1	Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Adrien Rabiot

Streaming and Viewing Options

The match was available for live streaming via TF1 in France. International viewers were advised that accessing the TF1 stream from outside France would require a VPN to connect to a French server [3]. However, users should be aware that bypassing geo-restrictions via VPN may violate the broadcasting terms of the service provider.