A new era is here! Zidane names his first France squad with bold surprises

The wait is finally over. Zinedine Zidane has officially announced his first squad as head coach of the France national team, and the list of 23 players already bears his bold signature.

Details: According to The Touchline, Zidane unveiled his maiden selection at the FFF headquarters on Friday evening. The squad features several debutants, including Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser, Rennes duo Jeremy Jacquet and Estéban Lepaul, Andy Diouf and Lucas Da Cunha, while N'Golo Kanté was left out of the new era.

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The full list reads as follows: Mike Maignan, Guillaume Restes and Robin Risser in goal; Andy Diouf, Jeremy Jacquet, Pierre Kalulu, Ibrahima Konaté, Jules Koundé, Maxence Lacroix, Adrien Truffert and Dayot Upamecano in defense; Eduardo Camavinga, Rayan Cherki, Lucas Da Cunha, Manu Koné, Adrien Rabiot and Warren Zaïre-Emery in midfield; and Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Estéban Lepaul, Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise in attack. The most striking decision is the absence of Kanté, the 35-year-old Fenerbahçe midfielder and 2018 World Cup winner, whom Zidane reportedly does not see in his project. Instead, the new coach is betting on youth and fresh energy, handing first call-ups to five players at once. Lepaul's inclusion rewards his phenomenal goalscoring start to the season in Ligue 1 with Rennes. Zidane, who succeeded Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup and signed a contract until the 2030 World Cup, will lead Les Bleus into upcoming Nations League clashes against Türkiye and Belgium, where his new-look France will face its first real test.

It's worth noting that Zidane's appointment ended a 14-year tenure of Deschamps, under whom France won the 2018 World Cup and reached the finals of the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2016.

Reminder: Zidane's first big call: France's most beloved warrior is not part of the new era