Zinédine Zidane announced a 23-player France squad on Friday for next week’s Nations League matches against Turkey and Italy. The confirmed changes are Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni returning to the group, plus a first senior call-up for Paris FC forward Pablo Pagis. The announcement does not yet establish who will start, play, or determine either result.
France 24 reports that Mbappé and Tchouaméni are back after injuries and that Pagis has been called up for the first time. Franceinfo also reports that Zidane, the new France coach, named 23 players for the two-match gathering. BFMTV likewise identifies Pagis as a new attacking inclusion.
Pagis’s first call-up is the clearest new development. It confirms a place in the national-team camp, not a place in Zidane’s starting XI. The same distinction applies to Mbappé and Tchouaméni: their inclusion confirms their return to the squad, but the available reports do not set out their precise fitness status, expected minutes, or tactical role.
A squad list can signal a coach’s immediate options, but it is not a match forecast. The supplied reporting does not provide the full list, Zidane’s tactical rationale, the reasons for omissions, or a detailed schedule. It therefore cannot support claims that Pagis will make his debut on the pitch, that either returning player is certain to start, or that France’s route through the Nations League has been settled.
The next meaningful evidence will be the official full squad announcement and Zidane’s explanation of his choices, followed by team selections as the matches against Turkey and Italy draw closer.
Sources
- BFMTV Actualités · Source date: 2026-11-06
- France 24 Tous titres · Source date: 2026-11-06
- franceinfo Tous titres · Source date: 2026-11-06
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-07