Zinedine Zidane has confirmed Kylian Mbappé as France captain in his first squad announcement as head coach, handing the Real Madrid forward a clear vote of confidence as Les Bleus begin a new cycle after finishing fourth at the 2026 World Cup.

Speaking at his introductory press conference, Zidane left no doubt about Mbappé’s status. “He will be my captain. He’s the best player in the world,” he said. The 1998 World Cup winner also indicated he intends to use Mbappé primarily from the left flank, where he feels the forward is most dangerous, and dismissed suggestions that his defensive work should be a primary concern.

Zidane named a 23-man squad for the upcoming four UEFA Nations League fixtures, blending established names with five uncapped players. Goalkeepers Mike Maignan, Robin Risser and Guillaume Restes were selected, while the defence includes Dayot Upamecano, Jules Koundé, Ibrahima Konaté, Pierre Kalulu, Maxence Lacroix, Adrien Truffert and newcomers Jérémy Jacquet (Liverpool) and Andy Diouf (Inter).

In midfield, Eduardo Camavinga returns after missing the World Cup squad, alongside Adrien Rabiot, Manu Koné, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Rayan Cherki and Lucas Da Cunha (Como), one of the five first-time call-ups. The forward line features Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué, Michael Olise and Rennes striker Estéban Lepaul, another debutant.

Notable omissions include Aurélien Tchouaméni, who Zidane said was left out due to a lack of recent match action, and N’Golo Kanté, as the new coach emphasised a shift toward younger players to help France “evolve”. Marcus Thuram and William Saliba were also absent from the initial list.