Zidane's debut sees Mbappé shifted to left wing as captain

Zidane steps into his first match as France manager with a stark contrast to the past two seasons: Kylian Mbappé, who has been deployed almost exclusively as a centre‑forward, will now start on the left wing while retaining the captain’s armband.

Left‑wing shift confirmed

Zinedine "Zizou" Zidane announced that Mbappé will operate as a left winger, the position in which he feels most comfortable. The French coach said, “He can play in the three attacking positions, but I personally prefer him on the left.”

Olé reported that Zidane made the decision public when releasing his first squad for the upcoming friendly against Turkey. The change is intended to give the captain more space to receive, turn and attack from the flank after two years largely spent as a number nine.

Captaincy and past record

Zidane confirmed that Mbappé will continue as captain of Les Bleus, even though he will not feature as a central striker. Mbappé has already featured 32 times on the left wing for France, scoring 21 goals and providing 16 assists.

Zidane leads Les Bleus toward legend expectations explode Turkey clash

His last appearance in that role came in the Euro 2024 semi‑final against Spain. Since then, both at Real Madrid and for the national side, he has been used mainly as a centre‑forward.

Implications for the attack

The tactical shift opens the possibility for Ousmane Dembélé to occupy the central striker position, a role he excelled in during his time at PSG. Zidane could therefore line up a front three with Mbappé on the left, Dembélé centrally and Oliver Olise on the right.

Zidane at the helm of France, Mbappé captain against Turkey

This configuration is expected to be the formula for Zidane’s debut on Friday against Turkey, marking the start of a new era for the French national team after the Deschamps period.