Turkiye vs France kicks off on 25 Sept 2026 at 14:45 EST and 18:45 EST.
Zizou takes charge of Les Bleus
French icon Zinedine Zidane will be keen to get his managerial tenure for France underway with a win over a talented Turkey side in the UEFA Nations League.
Turkey must get over World Cup disappointment
Despite having a squad littered with household names, Turkey flattered to deceive at the World Cup in the Americas. They saved their best performance for last when they beat the USA in a dead rubber match as they were already eliminated. They arrive in UEFA Nations League A after dispatching Hungary 6-1 over two legs. Unbeaten in their last nine Nations League home matches, the Turks might feel confident ahead of this campaign.
Getty ImagesLife after Didier Deschamps starts for France, and they couldn't really be led by a more iconic name. Zinedine Zidane has a tough act to follow, after Deschamps led France to consecutive World Cup finals, winning the showpiece in 2018. Zidane won't be overawed by the task, however, as a man who led Real Madrid to a treble of Champions League crowns between 2016 and 2018.
Getty ImagesKey stats & injury news
- Only two of Turkey's seven internationals this year featured goals at both ends.
- Turkey's Real Madrid playmaker Arda Guler has a goal and three assists in seven LaLiga outings this term.
- Arsenal centre-back William Saliba is missing for France with a back injury.
- French attacking midfielder Michael Olise has four goals and two assists in four Bundesliga outings for Bayern Munich this season.
- Turkey conceded before the 30th minute in each of their last four outings.
Getty ImagesTeam news & squads
Turkiye vs France Probable lineups
Manager
- V. Montella
Vincenzo Montella's Türkiye have no injuries or suspensions listed at this stage, with the probable lineup yet to be confirmed. Updates are expected closer to kick-off.
Zinedine Zidane's France squad is also without confirmed lineup details at this point. Aurelien Tchouameni is absent from the squad as he recovers from a groin injury, though Zidane has confirmed Kylian Mbappe will captain the side. Further team news will be added as the fixture approaches.
Form
Türkiye head into this fixture with three wins, two losses, and no draws from their last five matches. Their most recent result was a 3-2 win over the USA at the World Cup, a positive finish to their group-stage campaign after losses to Australia (0-2) and Paraguay (0-1). Earlier in the run, they beat North Macedonia 4-0 and Venezuela 2-1. Across those five games, Türkiye scored 11 goals and conceded eight.
France's last five matches produced three wins and two defeats. Their most recent outing was a 4-6 loss to England in the World Cup semi-finals, followed by a 0-2 defeat to Spain in the third-place play-off. Before those setbacks, France beat Morocco 2-0, Paraguay 1-0, and Sweden 3-0. They scored ten goals and conceded eight across that run.
Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head
The head-to-head record between these two sides is relatively balanced across recent meetings. The most recent fixture ended 1-1, a European Championship qualifier played in France in October 2019, while Türkiye won 2-0 in the reverse qualifier earlier that year. France's best result in the series was a 4-0 win in a November 2000 friendly. Across the four recorded meetings, France hold the stronger overall record, but Türkiye have shown they can compete and have taken points off Les Bleus in competitive football.
Standings
France currently sit second in the Nations League A group, with Türkiye fourth. That gap means France arrive at Kocaeli Stadium with the upper hand in the standings, while Türkiye need a positive result to stay in contention at the top of the table.