The first France squad of the Zinédine Zidane era has arrived with the sharp edge of a midnight reset. Eleven players who were part of Didier Deschamps’ 26-man World Cup group have been omitted from a 23-player selection for the next four matches, beginning with a Nations League trip to Turkey on 25 September.
Zidane rejected the idea that he is staging a complete break with the recent past, preferring to describe his approach as continuity. Yet the scale of the changes, and the arrival of five uncapped players, gives his first list the feel of a new door opening.
A new group, with five first call-ups
Guillaume Restes, Andy Diouf, Jérémy Jacquet, Lucas Da Cunha and Estéban Lepaul have all been handed their first senior France call-ups. Their inclusion reflects a willingness to refresh the group while keeping what Zidane sees as the right balance.
Restes, the 21-year-old Toulouse goalkeeper, is part of a longer-term rethink in a position where Brice Samba, now 32, may be concerned by the direction of travel. The Rennes goalkeeper is among the World Cup players left out.
Lepaul’s promotion is especially notable after the Rennes forward finished as Ligue 1’s leading scorer last season. His arrival adds competition in an attacking department from which Marcus Thuram has been excluded.
- France open Zidane’s tenure away to Turkey in the Nations League on 25 September.
- The squad then has three further fixtures during the coming international sequence.
- Zidane has selected 23 players, including 20 outfield players, rather than taking a larger group and leaving individuals in the stands.
Senior names left outside
Some absences have mitigating circumstances. William Saliba has been out injured for a prolonged period, while Aurélien Tchouaméni has not yet returned to full fitness at Real Madrid.
For others, the decision appears more significant. Lucas Digne, 33, Lucas Hernandez, 30, and his brother Theo, 28, were all involved at the World Cup but have been omitted amid questions over their current form.
N’Golo Kanté, 35, also misses out. Zidane paid tribute to the midfielder’s exemplary career but made clear that difficult decisions were unavoidable.
Karim Benzema’s situation was addressed directly. Zidane said he loves the 38-year-old striker, but pointed to his age. Thuram, 29, is a more surprising exclusion: the Inter forward has scored only three times in 32 France appearances and now faces increased pressure from emerging options such as Lepaul.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, also 29 and currently injured, will have his own doubts about his international future. Malo Gusto and Maghnes Akliouche, however, have been told not to regard their omissions as final. Both had brief appearances during the United States trip and remain in the selection picture.
Zidane insisted that the Chelsea full-back and PSG attacking player had not slipped down the pecking order. He said they remain eligible and could return for the next gathering, explaining that the arrival of newcomers did not amount to a demotion for those left out.
Players watched, but not selected
Several players had generated anticipation after appearing in preliminary discussions around the squad, but none made the final 23.
- Jean Butez of Como
- Pablo Pagis of Paris FC
- Enzo Le Fée of Sunderland
- Ismaëlo Ganiou of RC Lens
- Matthieu Udol of RC Lens
- Olivier Boscagli of Brighton
All are being monitored by the France staff. Others were considered either too far from immediate contention or not yet part of Zidane’s plans despite previous experience with the national team. That group includes PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, Inter defender Benjamin Pavard, Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana, Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara, Fenerbahçe’s Mattéo Guendouzi, RC Lens forward Florian Thauvin and Juventus striker Randal Kolo Muani.
Zidane said the staff had spent two months working on the selection and stressed that it had been carefully planned around squad balance. France have, he said, players of major quality; the priority now is to make them play well together.
