Venue: Kocaeli Stadyumu
Local Kick-off Time: Sep 25, 2026 21:45
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Turkey
World Cup Review & Nations League Ascendancy
Turkey competed in their first World Cup since 2002 over the summer, but the tournament ended in disappointment with a group-stage elimination following defeats to Austria and Paraguay, before securing a consolation win over the USA in their final group outing. Vincenzo Montella’s side have now turned their complete focus to the Nations League, competing in Group 1 of the top tier alongside France, Italy, and Belgium. Turkey campaigned in League C back in 2022-23 before earning promotion through League B in 2024-25, establishing an overall competition record of 11 wins, six draws, and seven defeats.
Fixture Schedule & Head-to-Head Resiliency
The Crescent-Stars face a demanding sequence, playing back-to-back home matches against France and Italy before the end of the month, followed by October away trips to Belgium and Italy. Historically, Turkey have faced France on six occasions, managing one victory—a famous 2-0 success in a European Championship qualifier in June 2019. The sides played out a 1-1 draw in their last encounter in October 2019, meaning France have not defeated Turkey since June 2009.
Team News & Projected Lineup
Montella must adjust to the absence of crucial spine players:
Key Absentees: Influential midfield captain Hakan Calhanoglu and Juventus attacker Kenan Yildiz are both ruled out through injury.
Attacking Setup: Real Madrid playmaker Arda Guler is fully fit and will orchestrate the forward line; Baris Yilmaz is expected to lead the attack through the center, flanked by Kerem Akturkoglu in the final third.
Midfield & Defense: Salih Ozcan is slated to step into the midfield engine room in Calhanoglu's absence, while Merih Demiral will anchor the central defense.
France
The Dawn of the Zidane Era
France have entered a fresh epoch under the stewardship of Zinedine Zidane, with the iconic midfielder taking the reins from long-serving manager Didier Deschamps after Les Bleus fell short of World Cup glory this summer. Widely tipped as pre-tournament favorites, France were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual winners Spain before slumping to a chaotic 6-4 loss against England in the third-place playoff. Consequently, Zidane inherits a squad seeking to snap a two-game competitive losing skid.
Schedule Outlook & Competition Pedigree
Following their trip to Turkey, France travel to face Belgium, before returning home for back-to-back fixtures against Italy on October 2 and Belgium on October 5. Les Bleus command pedigree in the Nations League, having captured the trophy in 2020-21 by beating Spain in the final, alongside a third-place finish in the 2024-25 campaign.
Team News & Projected Lineup
Zidane's managerial debut requires structural adaptations across defense and midfield:
Absentees & Replacements: William Saliba is sidelined through injury, while Aurelien Tchouameni has been omitted due to early-season fitness concerns. A knee problem forced Ibrahima Konate to withdraw from the camp, resulting in a call-up for Manchester United's Leny Yoro.
Midfield & Defense: Eduardo Camavinga is in line to start in the midfield pivot, while Bournemouth left-back Adrien Truffert could earn just his second senior international cap.
Frontline Firepower: Kylian Mbappe, who boasts 66 goals for his country, will spearhead the attack, with Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, and Desire Doue all pushing to start in a dynamic offensive setup.
