Zidane's Early Markers: Mbappe Remains Captain, Role Uncertain
Zinedine Zidane’s reign with France is barely underway, but the lines of authority are already clear. On Friday, he named his first 23-man squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures and, as many expected, confirmed that Kylian Mbappe will keep the armband.
The hierarchy remains. The blueprint, though, is shifting.
Mbappe’s place on the pitch
Zidane didn’t arrive to simply rubber-stamp what came before. Asked how he sees his captain in a squad freshened up with five uncapped players, the new boss made it clear that Mbappe’s starting position is not set in stone.
“He is capable of playing in all three positions. He has said it himself,” Zidane told reporters, underlining the forward’s flexibility across the front line. Then came the personal touch, the hint of how this France side might look under his watch.
“Me, for example, I like him a lot on the left.”
One sentence, but a strong signal. Under Zidane, Mbappe may no longer be the fixed reference point through the middle. Instead, France’s star could be unleashed from the left flank, driving inside, attacking space, and dragging defences apart — the role in which he has so often looked most devastating.
No free passes without the ball
The questions quickly turned from where Mbappe will play to what he will do when France don’t have the ball. Since his move to Real Madrid, debates in Spain have circled around the defensive work of the club’s attackers. That scrutiny followed Zidane into the press room.
A journalist raised the familiar accusation: a perceived lack of defensive effort from the superstar forward. Zidane cut it down immediately.
“It is a false subject, a false debate, it will have to be managed like all the other players,” he said, refusing to single out his captain for criticism or special treatment. The message was blunt: no one is exempt from the collective effort.
“When we do not have the ball, we will have to make an effort. It will not be a problem for Kylian.”
So the standard is set. Mbappe keeps the armband, but he also carries the same defensive responsibilities as the rest. Under Zidane, reputation won’t protect anyone from the hard running required without the ball.
Steering clear of politics
The press conference did not stay confined to tactics. Zidane also had to navigate questions that reached beyond the pitch: the 2027 French presidential elections and the recent controversy surrounding Mbappe’s refusal to wear a t-shirt fully supporting residents of Ceuta.
This time, the coach’s positioning was as clear as any tactical plan. He refused to step into the political arena or turn the France job into a platform for his personal beliefs.
“I am going to dedicate myself to this task, manager of the France national team,” he said. “However, I have convictions like everyone else, I am a citizen. As for sharing them... Everyone does as they want, but I am going to try to dedicate myself to this task.”
No slogans, no grand declarations. Zidane is drawing a line: his public role is football, not politics.
A new era, and an early test
The Zidane era on the touchline will begin on September 25, when France travel to Kocaeli to face Turkiye in League A of the Nations League. Three days later, they head to Brussels to take on Belgium — two away games, two hostile environments, and very little time for a revamped group to absorb new demands.
Five uncapped players, a legendary coach back in charge, Mbappe still captain but possibly shifted back to his favourite left side, and a firm insistence on defensive work from everyone.
The questions now move from the press room to the pitch: how quickly can this France adapt to Zidane’s standards, and how far can they go once they do?
