Zidane drops 11 World Cup players for France squad
SIGNAL19.09.2026 06:28 UTC
New France coach Zinedine Zidane has overhauled the squad for the Nations League, leaving out 11 players who featured at the 2026 World Cup under Didier Deschamps. France open away to Turkey on 25 September.
What it means
- Out: Brice Samba, Malo Gusto, William Saliba, Lucas Hernandez, Lucas Digne, Theo Hernandez, Aurelien Tchouameni, N'Golo Kante, Manes Akliouche, Marcus Thuram, Jean-Philippe Mateta.
- In: Guillaume Restes, Andy Diouf, Jeremy Jacquet, Pierre Kalulu, Adrien Truffert, Eduardo Camavinga, Lucas Da Cunha, Esteban Lepaul.
- Only 15 of the World Cup squad survive, including Maignan, Kounde, Upamecano, Rabiot, Dembele and Mbappe.
Model read
A major rebuild: France lose two first-choice defenders in Saliba and Theo Hernandez plus midfield anchor Tchouameni, so the side is notably less settled and more exposed defensively for the Turkey trip.
ImpactStrong
players out11
CompetitionUEFA Nations League
Sourcesportilinet.kz
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