Kylian Mbappe starts as France name team to face Turkiye in Nations League

Kylian Mbappe has been named in France’s starting XI for their decisive UEFA Nations League meeting with Turkiye on Sunday, with Zinedine Zidane selecting the Real Madrid forward to lead the attack.

France host Turkiye in the sixth round of the 2026/2027 Nations League, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake. The hosts will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Mbappe supported by Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola.

Turkiye will use a 3-5-2 system, with Arda Guler included in the forward line.

France’s starting XI is: Mike Maignan, Kounde, Castello Lukeba, Ibrahima Konate, Diouf, Rayan Cherki, Da Cunha, Adrien Rabiot, Olise, Mbappe and Barcola.

Turkiye’s team is: Oguzhan Ozyakup, Merih Demiral, Abdulkerim Bardakcı, Topcu, Celik, Ismail Yuksek, Hakan Calhanoglu, Uzun, Elmalı, Guler and Gul.

Mbappe returns to France team

Mbappe’s return provides France with a significant boost after he resumed full training two days before the important fixture against Turkiye.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, the Real Madrid forward took part in France’s evening training session at the Matmut Atlantique in Bordeaux. He worked alongside his team-mates after making clear progress in his recovery from a hamstring problem.

The injury kept Mbappe out of France’s match against Italy at San Siro on Thursday. Zidane said after Friday’s 3-1 defeat that he remained confident Mbappe could feature in the next game, explaining that the decision to rest him against Italy had been part of the agreed plan.

“I hope he will be ready on Sunday. That was the plan, because he was supposed to get some rest after experiencing some pain, while keeping open the possibility of him playing,” Zidane said at his news conference when asked about the forward’s fitness.

Mbappe’s availability is particularly important for France after the two-time world champions struggled without their captain in Friday’s match in Milan.

The defeat has unsettled France’s position in League A’s first group and ended Zidane’s unbeaten start since he took charge of Les Bleus in July. His appointment, following Didier Deschamps’ departure, generated considerable interest because of his status as one of the most prominent figures in French football.

Zidane began his competitive tenure with a 1-0 victory away to Turkiye on 25 September. Mbappe scored the winning goal in that match but suffered a knee injury during the game, ruling him out of the rest of France’s fixtures during the previous international break.