Will Mbappé feature? France reveal starting line-up for clash with Turkey

 France host Turkey today, Sunday, in the sixth round of the 2026/2027 UEFA Nations League.

Les Bleus line up at home in a 4-3-3,

with Kylian Mbappé leading the line, supported by Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola.

Turkey, for their part, set up in a 3-5-2 with Arda Güler pushed into attack.

The official line-ups for the match were as follows:

France: Maignan, Koundé, Jakité, Konaté, Diouf, Cherki, Da Cunha, Rabiot, Olise, Mbappé and Barcola.

Turkey: Özer, Demiral, Bardakcı, Topçu, Çelik, Yüksek, Çalhanoğlu, Özön, Elmalı, Güler and Gül.

Mbappé returns for France

France got a huge boost with Kylian Mbappé back in the squad. He rejoined group training two days before the decisive clash against Turkey, a tie that will determine who qualifies for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League.

According to Spanish newspaper "AS", the Real Madrid star took part in France's evening session at the Matmut Atlantique in Bordeaux. It was the standout moment in Les Bleus' build-up to the game.

Back working with his team-mates, the French striker showed a marked improvement in his physical condition. He had been nursing pain in the hamstring, an issue that forced him to miss Thursday's trip to Italy at the San Siro.

Zidane backed Mbappé to feature after Friday's 3-1 defeat, explaining that resting him against Italy had always been part of the plan.

Asked at the press conference about the Real Madrid star's fitness, Zidane said: "I hope he will be ready on Sunday. This was the plan, as he was supposed to get rest due to suffering from some pain, while retaining the possibility of his participation."

His return matters enormously. France felt the absence of their two-time world champion captain keenly during Friday's loss to Italy at the San Siro.

The defeat threw France into a decisive phase of their Nations League campaign. Their calculations in Group One of the top tier were left in disarray, and the result ended Zinedine Zidane's unbeaten record since he took charge last July.

Zidane's arrival drew huge attention. One of the biggest names in French football history, he inherited the job from Didier Deschamps amid hopes of returning the national team to the podium, with a squad blending experienced heads and young talent.

His official reign had begun with a 1-0 away win over Turkey on 25 September, Mbappé netting the winner before picking up a knee injury in that same match, which ruled him out for the rest of the national team's fixtures in the previous international break.

Written byAbobakr El Mokadem

Senior Editor

An Egyptian journalist since 2006. I initially specialized in covering local football, but over the years my interest expanded to global football, particularly the top five European leagues, with a special focus on La Liga and the Premier League.

Throughout these years, I combined field reporting with analytical work, and I became deeply involved in international football starting in 2017, when I joined Kooora.

At Kooora, I worked as a news editor, match analyst, translator, voice-over commentator, and video report producer, in addition to writing reports and articles, developing coverage plans for major events and key matches, and participating in their execution.

My passion for football began in 1990, during Egypt’s celebrations of qualifying for the Italy World Cup after a 56-year absence. I vividly remember the Egypt vs Netherlands match and Magdy Abdelghani’s historic equalizer.

On the global level, I became attached to Real Madrid at the start of the new millennium, following the great stars who wore its shirt, especially Zinedine Zidane, and later my favorite player Cristiano Ronaldo.

There are many unforgettable moments, but I would highlight Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Real Madrid in 2009 as the most important, as my favorite player joined the club I support in Europe.

Currently, I specialize in desk editing, translating international news and reports, proposing coverage ideas, and writing SEO-optimized content.

My all-time favorite lineup includes Gianluigi Buffon in goal; Cafu, Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini, and Roberto Carlos in defense; Zinedine Zidane, Andrés Iniesta, Diego Maradona, and Pelé in midfield; and in attack Ronaldo Nazário, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Among the reports and analyses I published on Kooora:

– After Deco and Scaloni’s statements… Is Messi’s era over?

– A golden hour gives Real Madrid hope to overcome Barcelona

– Kooora Report: Unsung heroes who shaped the greatness of the Champions League

– Kooora Story: Real Madrid defeats “itself” and wins a historic title

You can follow me on my social media accounts via the following links:

View Author Profile