Vincenzo Montella was immensely proud of Turkey despite suffering a narrow Nations League defeat to France. The manager has now challenged his players to show the exact same spirit when they host Italy in a crucial bottom-of-the-table clash.
France kickstarted the Zinedine Zidane era with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Turkey in the Nations League, but the match was overshadowed by concerns regarding the playing surface and a worrying injury to Kylian Mbappe. Despite the difficult conditions, Manchester City playmaker Rayan Cherki was quick to praise the tactical shift under the legendary former Real Madrid boss.
Zinedine Zidane enjoyed a winning start to his tenure as France head coach as Les Bleus secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Turkey in their UEFA Nations League opener. A second-half strike from Kylian Mbappe proved to be the difference in Kocaeli, marking a historic night for the Real Madrid legend as he returned to the international stage in the dugout.
Kylian Mbappe has been forced to withdraw from the France squad and return to Real Madrid after sustaining a worrying knee injury during international duty. The Les Bleus captain suffered the blow while scoring the decisive goal in a Nations League clash against Turkey, leaving national team manager Zinedine Zidane sweating over his fitness.
Zinedine Zidane successfully navigated his first match as France head coach, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Turkey in the Nations League. However, the historic occasion was marred by a significant injury concern for talisman Kylian Mbappe, who was forced off shortly after scoring the winner.
Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella evaluated the massive impact of missing injured stars Hakan Calhanoglu and Kenan Yildiz ahead of their Nations League double-header. The Italian coach praised Yildiz's world-class potential while preparing for an emotional clash against former team-mate Roberto Mancini's Italy.
Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella admitted that the Turkish Football Federation could have sacked him following their disappointing World Cup campaign. However, the Italian manager expressed gratitude after TFF officials judged his entire three-year tenure to focus on long-term growth in Nations League A.
Zinedine Zidane is ready to embark on a new chapter of his storied career as he prepares for his first match as the head coach of France. The legendary figure, who took the reins following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup, admitted to feeling a deep connection to his new role ahead of a Nations League clash with Turkiye.
Inter forward Pio Esposito and Sassuolo striker Sebastiano Esposito could make Italian football history during the upcoming Nations League fixtures under Roberto Mancini. If deployed together, they will become the first brothers to play simultaneously for the Azzurri since 2000.
Brentford full-back Michael Kayode addressed interest from Inter Milan and the Nigerian Football Federation following his maiden Italy call-up. The 22-year-old insisted staying in the Premier League and representing the Azzurri were easy choices.
Rennes forward Esteban Lepaul reflected on his dream maiden France call-up under new manager Zinedine Zidane. The Ligue 1 top scorer detailed receiving passes from the icon in training and sitting through an inspiring national team history video.
Como goalkeeper Jean Butez became the oldest player to earn a maiden France call-up in half a century after replacing the injured Robin Risser. The 31-year-old received the surprise call from Zinedine Zidane before training under legendary goalkeeping coach Fabien Barthez.
Kylian Mbappe has expressed his delight at reuniting with Zinedine Zidane, describing the appointment of the new France national team coach as a cinematic moment. The pair first met when the former midfielder invited a young Mbappe to trial at Real Madrid over a decade ago, and they will now work together following the departure of Didier Deschamps.
The 2026 World Cup is over, and so is the race for the prestigious Golden Boot - the award given to the tournament's top scorer. With the expanded 48-nation tournament coming to a close, following a month of thrilling action in North America, which star has taken home the illustrious award? Here, GOAL lists the tournament's most prolific performers.
Four nations made debuts at the 2026 World Cup, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan gracing the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It was the tournament with the most newcomers since 2006 and Cape Verde achieved the feat of ending a 16-year wait for a debutant to reach the knockout stages, before succumbing to Lionel Messi's Argentina in a classic.
The group stage of the 2026 World Cup came to a dramatic conclusion on Saturday, as Austria scored a 96th-minute equaliser against Algeria to qualify for the knockout stage while simultaneously eliminating Iran, who had been set to progress as one of the tournament's third-placed finishers. Elsewhere, Lionel Messi came off the bench to help Argentina maintain their 100 percent winning record with a 3-1 victory over Jordan and, in doing so, the No.10 extended his record-breaking goals tally at the finals to 19.
Christian Pulisic returned, Sebastian Berhalter impressed, and Auston Trusty delivered a big moment, but a late Turkiye winner exposed the USMNT’s defensive depth.
Turkiye
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