| France vs Turkey | |
| MATCH | Nations League |
| DATE | 26 - 09 - 2026 |
| TIME | 12.15 AM IST |
| STADIUM | Stadium |
Turkey vs France Match Preview
Turkey will begin their Nations League campaign against France after a disappointing return to the FIFA World Cup. The Turks were competing at the tournament for the first time since 2002, but their campaign ended in the group stage after defeats against Austria and Paraguay. They did manage to finish on a positive note by beating the United States in their final group match.
Vincenzo Montella's team will now turn their attention to the Nations League, where they have been placed in a challenging League A Group 1 alongside France, Italy and Belgium. Turkey previously competed in League C during the 2022-23 edition before returning to League B for the 2024-25 campaign.
Turkey have recorded 11 wins, six draws and seven defeats in their Nations League history. Their schedule is particularly demanding, with home matches against France and Italy followed by away fixtures against Belgium and Italy in October.
The Crescent-Stars have faced France six times previously, recording just one victory. That success came in a 2-0 European Championship qualifying win in June 2019. Their most recent meeting ended in a 1-1 draw in October of the same year.
France are also entering a new era. Zinedine Zidane has taken charge of the national team after Didier Deschamps' departure following the 2026 World Cup.
The French side had entered the tournament among the leading contenders but were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the semi-finals. They then suffered a high-scoring defeat to England in the third-place playoff, meaning Zidane's first competitive assignment comes with France looking to respond to consecutive losses.
France will travel to Belgium after this fixture before returning home for Nations League matches against Italy and Belgium in October.
The Blues have previously won the Nations League, lifting the trophy in 2020-21 after defeating Spain in the final. They finished third in the 2024-25 edition, which Portugal ultimately won.
Turkey Form
Turkey's recent results have produced four wins and two defeats in their last six matches.
W - W - W - L - L - W
France Form
France also recorded four victories before suffering consecutive defeats in their most recent two matches.
W - W - W - W - L - L
Team News
Turkey will be without two key attacking players, with Hakan Calhanoglu and Kenan Yildiz both unavailable because of injuries. Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler is fit and is expected to start.
Baris Yilmaz could lead the Turkish attack, while Kerem Akturkoglu is another likely option in the final third. Salih Ozcan could take on additional responsibility in midfield in the absence of Calhanoglu, while experienced defender Merih Demiral is expected to feature in the back line.
France have several absences of their own. William Saliba is unavailable through injury, while Aurelien Tchouameni has been left out after experiencing fitness problems early in the season.
Ibrahima Konate has also withdrawn from the squad because of a knee problem. Manchester United defender Leny Yoro has been called up as his replacement.
Eduardo Camavinga could feature in midfield, while Bournemouth's Adrien Truffert is in contention for only his second international appearance at left-back.
Kylian Mbappe remains France's main attacking threat and will be expected to lead the forward line. Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue are also among the players competing for starting positions in attack.
With both teams beginning new chapters and several key players unavailable, the meeting in Turkey should provide an intriguing test of how the two sides adapt to their respective changes.