Zidane’s France: Bold Cuts and Fresh Faces

Zinedine Zidane walked into FFF headquarters in Paris and put his stamp on France in one stroke of a pen. His first 23-man squad, unveiled in the capital, signalled exactly what many had anticipated: the Deschamps cycle is over, and a new generation is being handed the keys.

Five players – Jeremy Jacquet, Andy Diouf, Lucas Da Cunha, Guillaume Restes and Esteban Lepaul – received their first senior call-ups. No gradual easing in, no extended standby lists. They have been told to report straight to Clairefontaine on Monday, dropped directly into the heart of Zidane’s project.

A tight group, by design

Zidane has opted for a compact squad. Just 23 players, in an era where national coaches often hoard options. He wants everyone involved, everyone on the pitch or close to it during a brutal run of four games in ten days.

He explained that choice in front of the media with the same clarity he once showed on the ball. Every pick, he said, was rooted in current form and long-term potential, not reputation. He spoke at length about profiles, roles and balance, particularly in midfield and at full-back, where he sees the spine of his new France.

The Liverpool centre-back Jacquet is a case in point. 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 that this is no last-minute discovery but a long-running conviction finally acted upon.

Diouf and Da Cunha, the new engine

Inter Milan midfielder Andy Diouf and Como’s Lucas Da Cunha were singled out as key to what Zidane wants this team to become. They fit the idea: dynamic, technically clean, able to play on the half-turn and push the game forward.

"They are players who deserve to be here, players I want to see," Zidane insisted. "What inspires me is the game. I want to see these players and this team playing."

That line matters. The new coach is not hiding his ambition. He wants an attractive, proactive France, a side that presses, keeps the ball and dictates, not just survives big nights.

On the flanks, he doubled down on that thinking by recalling Adrien Truffert. Together with Diouf, the Rennes full-back gives Zidane flexibility down the sides, offering legs, width and the ability to step inside when needed.

Big names left behind

To bring in a new wave, some giants had to be left at the door. Zidane did not dodge the topic. N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema, both World Cup winners, are out of this first squad.

"Choosing Andy Diouf and Truffert is a strong choice. They are capable of playing in this position," he explained, before addressing the absences that will dominate headlines. "N'Golo is 35 and I have made choices, which are different. I adore Karim, but he's a certain age. I need to see younger players and what we will do together."

The message is blunt: respect for the past, but no sentimentality. Zidane is building ahead, not looking back.

Fixtures that leave no hiding place

There is no gentle introduction waiting for this revamped France. Zidane’s ideas will be tested immediately across a demanding ten-day window.

Les Bleus open away in Izmir against Turkey on Friday, September 25, a trip that rarely offers comfort. Three days later they head to Brussels to face Belgium on September 28, a fixture loaded with recent history and tension.

Then come two home games at Saint-Denis: Italy on October 2, Belgium again on October 5. Four matches, three heavyweight opponents, and almost no training time between them. Whatever Zidane wants this team to be, it will have to appear quickly, under pressure and under the lights.

Mbappé stays at the centre of it all

Amid the change, one constant remains: Kylian Mbappé keeps the armband. Zidane will lean on his captain to bridge eras – the superstar who has already lived through one France cycle and now becomes the standard-bearer for the next.

The framework is clear. A lean squad, a younger core, a proactive style, a captain in his prime. Zidane has drawn his first lines. The real question now is how quickly this new France can turn bold selection into a team that looks, and feels, like his.