France without Mbappé, Dembélé eager to regain the armband

After the Blues' victory in Turkey (0-1) on Friday evening, manager Zinédine Zidane announced that Kylian Mbappé, who injured his knee at the moment of his goal, had to leave the French squad, leaving France without its star striker immediately.

Mbappé was forced to leave the Kocaeli Stadium pitch at halftime, his knee showing sharp pain. Real Madrid confirmed his unavailability for the national team's upcoming fixtures.

Upon leaving the pitch, the Real Madrid player handed his armband to Ousmane Dembélé, who was among the vice‑captains appointed by Zidane.

The next challenge in Belgium

The armband should be worn again on Monday at 20:45, for the kickoff in Belgium for the second matchday of the Nations League. The match will see France face the Red Devils.

Zinédine Zidane congratulates the Blues after their first win in Turkey

Zidane named three vice‑captains: the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner, Adrien Rabiot and Jules Koundé. The manager, successor to Didier Deschamps, explained that he favoured seniority to establish the hierarchy among these players.

Ousmane Dembélé, first of the three, has earned 67 caps, ahead of the AC Milan midfielder (66) and the FC Barcelona defender (56). If the coach starts him against Belgium, the PSG striker will wear the armband in Brussels.

Dembélé congratulates the Blues on a hard‑fought win in Turkey

At his club, Dembélé has already taken on the captaincy role, notably against Racing Club de Lens last May, when Marquinhos, the usual captain of the Red and Blue, was absent.