Zidane Wins France Debut as Mbappé Suffers Knee Injury

Zinédine Zidane secured a 1-0 victory in his first match as France coach against Turkey on September 25, 2026, but the win was clouded by an injury to captain Kylian Mbappé, who scored the winning goal before hurting his left knee.¹⁴

A narrow win, a heavy cost

France defeated Turkey 1-0 in Zidane's opening match in charge, according to the France 24 and Sud Radio. Mbappé scored the decisive goal, with Al Jazeera reporting it was his 67th for France on a single-source basis, and Sud Radio reporting it was his 12th goal of 2026. According to the Guardian, Mbappé overextended his knee while shooting and was substituted after 54 minutes, replaced by Désiré Doué, who was deployed as a striker in the tactical set-up, per Sud Radio.¹⁴³⁵

Medical examinations by Real Madrid, Mbappé's club, found that the posterior capsule of his left knee had stretched beyond its normal range, a diagnosis reported by both TNT Sports and Yahoo Sports. Zidane told reporters, "It does not look good. he was doubtful about Mbappé's condition," and explained that the knee had stretched beyond its normal range as he struck the ball. It doesn't look encouraging," according to TNT Sports. The French Football Federation said in a statement carried by TNT Sports that Mbappé "suffered a tendon injury and will miss the rest of the camp."⁷⁸

According to Zidane, cited by the Guardian, Mbappé is expected to return to Real Madrid for treatment. Sud Radio reported that Mbappé is unavailable for three upcoming international matches over one week, while Al Jazeera and France 24 each reported, on a single-source basis, that he would be sidelined for roughly two weeks or for France's next three Nations League fixtures respectively.¹³⁴²

France without Mbappé face Belgium

France were scheduled to play Belgium in a Nations League Group A1 match on September 28, in what Al Jazeera and Sports Illustrated described as a fixture in which Mbappé's absence would test the squad's depth. Zidane said, "There will be changes. How many? You'll see. With four matches packed into a brief span, he intended to give several players opportunities across the squad. building familiarity within the squad mattered most at this stage," according to Al Jazeera. According to France 24, Ousmane Dembélé is set to serve as captain if he starts.²⁴

Belgium enter the match under new coach Mark van Bommel, who began his tenure after leaving Antwerp in 2024, according to 101 Great Goals. Belgium opened their campaign with a 2-0 win over Italy on September 25, with goals attributed to Mika Godts and Dodi Lukébakio according to the Guardian and the wider dossier. Van Bommel, asked about facing Zidane, described it as a unique experience to be on the opposing touchline from him. He called Zidane a remarkable player and recalled once facing him on the pitch while playing for Barcelona against Real Madrid. He added that having a signature dribble named after him was proof enough of his ability. he also clearly has real quality as a coach," according to Al Jazeera.⁵²¹

Belgium have lost all five of their last five meetings with France, according to 101 Great Goals and Sports Illustrated, though the two sides' overall head-to-head record of 78 meetings is disputed between sources, with Al Jazeera citing 30 wins for Belgium, 29 for France and 19 draws, a tally contested by Sports Illustrated. Belgium also carry injury concerns, with Leandro Trossard sidelined by a heel problem and goalkeeper Mike Penders troubled by a muscle issue, according to 101 Great Goals and Al Jazeera. France, meanwhile, are missing Warren Zaire-Emery through a thigh injury and Matteo Guendouzi through suspension, Al Jazeera reported.⁵⁶²