Türkiye vs France, 25 September 2026: France Win 1-0 in Zidane’s First Match, Mbappé Scores
France beat Türkiye 1-0 in their UEFA Nations League match on Friday 25 September 2026, in Zinedine Zidane’s first game as France head coach. Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal in the 54th minute but was then replaced because of an injury, according to ESPN’s report. “Türkiye vs France” was trending on Google Trends India on 26 September.
Prepared on Saturday, 26 September 2026, 9:59 PM IST. The date is read from our publishing system’s clock. Facts are as reported by the sources listed below at that time and may have changed since.
Türkiye vs France at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Competition | UEFA Nations League 2026-27, League A, Group A1 |
| Result | Türkiye 0-1 France |
| Goal | Kylian Mbappé, 54th minute (France) |
| Venue | Kocaeli Stadium, Kocaeli (Izmit), Türkiye |
| Date and kick-off | Friday 25 September 2026, 9:45 PM local time (18:45 GMT), which was 12:15 AM IST on Saturday 26 September |
| Referee | Felix Zwayer (ESPN) |
| Points after the match | France 3, Türkiye 0 (ESPN) |
Zidane’s first match in charge
Zinedine Zidane took over from Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup. Deschamps had been in charge for 14 years, winning the 2018 World Cup and losing the 2022 final. Ahead of the match Zidane said he felt “an immense emotion” at the head of the team. ESPN’s report (PA) said Mbappé’s goal, which was the only one of the game, was followed by his replacement because of an injury, which overshadowed Zidane’s first win. Mbappé is France’s all-time top scorer and was set to captain the side after shrugging off a minor injury before the game.
Team news before kick-off
- Türkiye: without Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Kenan Yıldız because of injury. Arda Güler, the Real Madrid player, was available despite fears of a knock. Al Jazeera’s predicted line-up was Çakır; Çelik, Demiral, Bardakçı, Elmalı; Özcan, Kökçü, Yüksek; Güler, Yılmaz, Aktürkoğlu.
- France: six new faces were in the squad and set for possible debuts: striker Esteban Lepaul (Rennes), defenders Leny Yoro (Manchester United) and Jérémy Jacquet (Liverpool), midfielders Lucas Da Cunha (Como) and Andy Diouf (Inter Milan), and goalkeeper Guillaume Restes (Toulouse). Adrien Rabiot spoke at the pre-match news conference; the vice-captains are Rabiot, Ousmane Dembélé and Jules Koundé.
- Formations (ESPN): Türkiye 3-4-2-1 and France 4-3-3.
Head-to-head
This was the seventh meeting between the two nations. Before it, France had four wins to Türkiye’s one. The last meeting was a 1-1 draw in Paris in 2019 in a Euro 2020 qualifier, with Olivier Giroud scoring for France in the 76th minute and Kaan Ayhan equalising for Türkiye five minutes later (Al Jazeera).
What is next for France
| Date | Fixture (Al Jazeera) |
|---|---|
| Monday 28 September | Belgium v France (away) |
| Friday 2 October | France v Italy, Stade de France |
| Monday 5 October | France v Belgium, Stade de France |
Kick-off times for these fixtures are not given in the report we read, so please check UEFA’s website for the exact times in IST.
Frequently asked questions
What was the score in Türkiye vs France?
France won 1-0. Kylian Mbappé scored in the 54th minute.
Which competition was it?
The UEFA Nations League 2026-27, League A, Group A1.
What time was the match in India?
It kicked off at 9:45 PM in Türkiye (18:45 GMT), which is 12:15 AM IST on Saturday 26 September 2026.
Who is France’s coach now?
Zinedine Zidane, who replaced Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup. This was his first match in charge.
Sources
- ESPN: Türkiye 0-1 France, final score and report (25 Sep 2026)
- Al Jazeera: Turkiye vs France, teams, kickoff time, lineups (24 Sep 2026)
