Zidane’s France begin Nations League campaign against Turkey

France begin their League A campaign in the Nations League against Turkey on Friday, 24 September 2026, with the match also marking Zinedine Zidane’s first game as head coach.

The Tricolores travel to Kocaeli Stadyumu for an 18:45 GMT kick-off, where they will face a Turkey side known for its strong home record. The match will be shown in France on L’Equipe, TF1 and M6. Fox Sports and DAZN will broadcast it in the United States and Canada, while New World TV and beIN SPORTS hold the rights in sub-Saharan Africa. The game will also be available on beIN SPORTS and DStv in the Middle East and North Africa.

France hold the better overall record in this fixture, with four wins, one draw and one defeat. However, the gap between the teams has narrowed in recent meetings, with France failing to win either of their last two encounters.

Turkey won 2-0 when the sides met in Euro qualifying on 8 June 2019, before France were held to a 1-1 draw in the return fixture on 14 October that year. The earlier meetings produced a 1-0 France victory in a friendly on 5 June 2009, a 3-2 win for France in the Confederations Cup on 26 June 2003 and a 4-0 success in another friendly on 15 November 2000.

Two teams starting new campaigns

Turkey are entering the top tier of the Nations League after securing promotion with a convincing 6-1 aggregate victory over Hungary in the play-offs. They will be seeking a response after a disappointing World Cup campaign ended in the group stage.

Their home form in this competition offers encouragement. Turkey are unbeaten in their last nine Nations League home matches, recording six wins and three draws, and will hope that record can help them unsettle France.

France are beginning a new chapter following Didier Deschamps’ departure after 14 years in charge. Zidane has taken over with the team looking to recover from a mixed World Cup campaign that ended with a fourth-place finish.

The French side have already won the Nations League, lifting the trophy in 2021, and will be aiming to challenge for the title again despite a number of absences and changes to both squads.

The match is expected to be closely contested. Turkey’s defensive strength at home against leading European teams could prove important, although France’s technical quality and greater squad depth may give them an advantage late in the game.

Africafoot’s prediction is a 2-1 victory for France.

The betting odds listed for the match are 8.50 for a Turkey win, 4.75 for a draw and 1.42 for a France victory.