Kylian Mbappe left France due to injury after their 1-0 victory over Turkey in their Nations League opener.
Zidane made a winning start as France manager, with Kylian Mbappe scoring the only goal of the game nine minutes into the second half.
However, he was stopped immediately after the goal and was taken off within five minutes to receive treatment for what appeared to be a knee problem.
Mbappe scored his 12th goal for the French team in 2026, tying the record for the highest number of goals scored by a Azzurri player in a single calendar year in the 21st century (Mbappe also scored 12 goals in 2022).
However, he will not continue to play during this extended international break, with France confirming on social media that “he has suffered a tendon injury and will return to action”. [Real] Madrid for treatment”.
Asked about Mbappe’s situation shortly after the victory, Zidane told TF1: “Unfortunately, things are not going well.
“I think he has to go back. We’re not taking any chances. He developed high blood pressure in his knee during filming.
“That’s not entirely encouraging for him to be able to continue.”
Kylian Mbappe suffered a knee injury during his winning goal. He missed the remainder of the meet with a tendon injury.
Kellyanne is recovering well pic.twitter.com/S3YV9oscSO
— Team France (@equipedefrance) September 25, 2026
Zidane is the first coach to win France’s first game in charge since Aime Jacquet in 1994 against Italy (D4 L1).
The French team ranks second in Group A1, trailing only its next opponent Belgium on goal difference.
But Zidane was delighted with the three points.
“It’s very exciting. It’s a successful debut,” he added.
“It’s not easy coming to Türkiye to play, the atmosphere here is so mixed. We played the game we needed to.
“We played well; we pressed them on the pitch. Even though we’ve only had three and a half practices, I’ve seen a lot of interesting things.
“It’s encouraging. I’m happy with what they’re doing. It’s great to see everyone.”
As for Turkey, they were there all game and had chances to score, with Ismail Yuksek’s unmarked diving header forcing a great save from Mike Maignan.
They had the same 12 shots as France, but had slightly fewer expected goals (1.1 compared to 1.2 for the Azzurri).
“I’m proud; it’s a pity that we couldn’t leave the field with a positive result,” head coach Vincenzo Montella told Sky Sport Italia.
“It was an unbelievable performance, one of our best, especially considering who we were playing against.
“We know that against a team like this you can’t afford to make a mistake but I think we had our chances and it was a very equal game.
“I saw a great team spirit and that’s what we need to carry with us into the next games. It’s not easy to recover physically and mentally so quickly, so we need that spirit first.”
“I feel bad for my lads because they really gave it their all.”