Zidane's Early Markers: Mbappe as Captain but Not No. 9

Zinedine Zidane has barely taken his seat in the France dugout and already the outlines of his project are clear. A first 23-man squad named. Five uncapped players invited into the inner circle. And one decision that was never really in doubt: Kylian Mbappe keeps the armband.

Speaking to the media after announcing his Nations League squad on Friday, the new France manager confirmed that his captaincy call was straightforward. The more intriguing detail lay elsewhere — in how he plans to use the country’s biggest star.

Mbappe’s role: leader on the left

Zidane made no attempt to hide his tactical preference. Mbappe will lead, but he may not lead the line.

“He is capable of playing in all three positions. He has said it himself,” Zidane told reporters, before adding the key sentence. “Me, for example, I like him a lot on the left.”

That one line cuts straight to the heart of France’s attacking identity under their new coach. Mbappe as a roaming, devastating presence cutting in from the left, rather than a fixed point at centre-forward, opens the door to a different balance: more movement ahead of the ball, more combinations between the lines, and space for a true No 9 to occupy defenders.

The inclusion of five uncapped players only sharpens that sense of a reset. A refreshed group, a captain in his prime, and a manager who already sounds certain about where his main weapon does the most damage.

No free passes without the ball

If Zidane sounded relaxed when talking about Mbappe’s versatility, his tone hardened the moment the conversation shifted to defensive work.

In Spain, Real Madrid’s forwards have often been accused of switching off when the ball is lost. The question followed Mbappe into the France camp. Would his new national-team coach demand more from him without the ball?

Zidane cut the debate down instantly.

“It is a false subject, a false debate, it will have to be managed like all the other players,” he said. “When we do not have the ball, we will have to make an effort. It will not be a problem for Kylian.”

No special treatment, no public scolding either. Just a clear standard: the captain runs like everyone else. If France are to press higher and defend as a unit, Mbappe will be expected to trigger that work, not watch it.

For a squad hearing Zidane’s voice in this role for the first time, the message landed cleanly. Talent is non-negotiable at this level. So is effort.

Steering clear of politics

The questions did not stay on tactics for long. They rarely do with Mbappe.

The press conference turned towards the 2027 French presidential elections and the recent controversy around the forward’s refusal to fully wear a t-shirt in support of Ceuta residents. The subject was loaded. Zidane wanted no part of it.

“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.”

It was a firm line. Zidane acknowledged his own beliefs but made it clear that his public role will be defined by football, not by political commentary. In an era where players and coaches are increasingly drawn into wider debates, the new France boss is choosing to keep his focus narrow, at least in front of the cameras.

A new era begins in Turkiye

The talking will stop on 25 September. That is when France step into the Zidane era for real, away to Turkiye in Kocaeli in League A of the Nations League. Three days later, the test stiffens further in Brussels against Belgium.

Those two fixtures will offer the first real answers to the questions circling around this team. Does Mbappe start on the left, as his coach prefers? How quickly do the five uncapped players adjust to the demands of international football? And does the captain embody the defensive effort Zidane has just publicly demanded?

The blueprint is on the table. The next step is execution — and the whole of France will be watching how their new manager and his chosen leader bring it to life.