Under the lights in Izmit, France will begin their Nations League campaign on Friday night in an unfamiliar shade of green. Zinédine Zidane’s first match as head coach will take place before a full house in Turkey, with kick-off set for 20:45.
Kylian Mbappé and the France squad will wear the pale green away strip used several times during this summer’s World Cup in the United States. Its colour was designed around the oxidised copper appearance of the Statue of Liberty, rather than the traditional blue associated with Les Bleus.
The 35,117-capacity stadium is expected to be sold out for the opening fixture. France will have 310 supporters in the away section as they face Turkey in what is Zidane’s first competitive assignment on the national-team bench.
German referee Felix Zwayer will oversee the match. Video assistance will be available, but goal-line technology will not be used. The system that confirms whether the whole ball has crossed the line is not compulsory for the competition, with its presence dependent on federation decisions and stadium equipment.
