France secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Turkey on Sunday at the Stade Atlantique in Bordeaux, punching their ticket to the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals.
Les Bleus needed a result in their final group match to guarantee progression after dropping their previous fixture against Italy. Zinédine Zidane’s squad finished the group stage alongside group leaders Italy while holding off third-place Belgium, according to DAZN reporting.
Sunday’s fixture marked a return for captain Kylian Mbappé, who missed previous matches following a narrow 1-0 win over Turkey in Izmit on September 25, 2026, where he scored the only goal of the match.
The fixture arrived just three days after France suffered their first defeat under Zidane, falling 3-1 to Italy at San Siro on Thursday, November 12, 2026. Michael Olise opened the scoring in Milan before the team conceded three goals.
Addressing reporters on TF1 ahead of the Bordeaux encounter, Zidane maintained his composure regarding the squad’s recent form. “Je crois que ce sont des gars habitués à ce genre de matchs.” “Mon message est toujours le même: que ça se passe bien ou un peu moins bien, il faut rester positif,” Zidane told TF1’s Téléfoot program, as reported by Yahoo Actualités.
The manager added that the quick turnaround offered an immediate opportunity to respond. “Ce sont de jeunes joueurs, il faut passer par là. Je ne m’affole pas plus que ça,” Zidane said, according to the same broadcast.
The match brought together France captain Kylian Mbappé and Turkey midfielder Arda Güler as opponents on the pitch. Téléfoot highlighted the relationship between the two Real Madrid clubmates, noting that Güler, 21, had drawn praise from Zidane following the September fixture.
Turkey entered the fixture already eliminated from quarterfinal contention after enduring a difficult group campaign, registering five defeats and conceding 13 goals across six matches, as detailed by franceinfo.
With qualification secured in Bordeaux, France advances to the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals scheduled for a two-legged series in March 2027. The tournament’s final four phase will take place in June 2027.
Keep reading
- Austria Leads UEFA Nations League in Ball Recoveries, Oe24 Reports
- Spain and England Meet in Madrid With Nations League Group Top Spot at Stake
- AS FAR Retain Women’s African Champions League Title with 3-1 Win (archyde.com)
- France and Botswana Sign Paris Declaration on Natural Diamonds (breakinglatest.news)
