Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Kylian Mbappe has likened being coached by Zinedine Zidane to “something from a movie”, as France prepare to play their first game under the legendary former midfielder.
Zidane succeeded Didier Deschamps in the aftermath of the 2026 World Cup, which saw France reach the semi-finals before losing 2-0 to eventual champions Spain.
Deschamps led Les Bleus for 14 years and 187 matches in total (also 103 as a player), overseeing their second World Cup triumph in 2018 in addition to runner-up finishes at the 2022 edition and at Euro 2016, with the latter tournament being on home soil.
And France’s new era begins with a Nations League trip to Turkiye on Friday, with matches against Belgium – both home and away – and Italy to follow in the next two weeks.
Zidane made 108 appearances for France during his illustrious playing career, scoring 31 goals including a brace in their win over Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final.
He also scored a Panenka penalty in the 2006 final before receiving a red card for an infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi, as Italy went on to defeat Les Bleus on spot-kicks.
And Mbappe – who will keep hold of the captain’s armband under the new regime – has a chance to pass Zidane in the all-time France appearance charts during the extended international break.
Mbappe’s next cap will be his 107th, so he could potentially equal Zidane against Belgium next Monday and surpass him versus Italy on October 2, should he appear in all of those matches.
In an interview with AS, Mbappe recalled his first meeting with Zidane, which came when he was a youth player attracting interest from Europe’s top clubs, while the former midfield icon was working in Real Madrid’s academy.
“Years ago, he was the first to pick me up and take me to Real Madrid, to the training complex. I was 13 or 14; it was ages ago,” Mbappe said.
“And now he’s my national team coach. It’s like something from a movie, but he’s top-level.
“It’s real, we’re in a new process in France, we have two years to prepare for the European Championships and we’re working towards it now.”
4 – Palmarès d’entraîneur des quatre derniers sélectionneurs de l’@equipedefrance au moment d’entrer en poste :
Raymond Domenech :
1 Ligue 2, 1 Tournoi de Toulon
Laurent Blanc :
1 Ligue 1, 1 Coupe de la Ligue, 2 Trophées des Champions
Didier Deschamps :
1 Ligue 1,… pic.twitter.com/2wYjMmukqx
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) July 28, 2026
Zidane is the only manager to win three successive Champions League crowns, doing so with Real Madrid between 2015-16 and 2017-18, but he neglected to take another job in club football after leaving the Santiago Bernabeu for the second time in 2021.
He repeatedly outlined his interest in the France job during the latter years of Deschamps’ tenure, and Mbappe is excited to see what changes he makes.
“It’s a new phase with a new coach. It’s going to be a new experience for everyone, since we’ve only ever had Deschamps,” Mbappe said.
“It will be a change for us, but I think everything will turn out very well.”
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