Zinédine Zidane revealed this Friday his second squad as head coach of the France team. The coach selected 23 players for the last two group stage matches of the Nations League, against Italy on November 12 in Milan and Turkey on November 15 in Bordeaux. Among the main new inclusions is the first call-up of Pablo Pagis, forward for Paris FC, as well as the returns of Kylian Mbappé, Marcus Thuram, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Ibrahima Konaté.
Undefeated since Zidane took over, the Blues occupy first place in their group with three wins and one draw. One additional point will be enough to secure their qualification for the quarter-finals of the competition.
Pablo Pagis, Zidane’s big surprise
The main surprise of this selection concerns Pablo Pagis. The Paris FC player, son of former forward Mickaël Pagis, has been called up for the first time to the France A team. His performances since the start of the season earned him a place in the tricolor squad.
Zidane also renewed his trust in several players he had already included during his first gathering. Lucas Da Cunha, Jérémy Jacquet, and Andy Diouf are among the 23 selected. Rayan Cherki also retains his place in an attacking sector where competition remains strong.
Mbappé, Thuram, and Tchouaméni return; Dembélé absent
Kylian Mbappé returns to the France team after missing part of the previous gathering. The Real Madrid forward was injured during the trip to Turkey on September 25, after scoring the only goal of the match. His return gives Zidane an additional option at the front of the attack.
Marcus Thuram also rejoins the Blues after his absence during the last gathering. In midfield, Aurélien Tchouaméni returns alongside Eduardo Camavinga, Adrien Rabiot, and Warren Zaïre-Emery. In defense, Ibrahima Konaté re-enters the group.
However, several internationals are unavailable. Ousmane Dembélé, William Saliba, Jules Koundé, Manu Koné, Maxence Lacroix, Estéban Lepaul, and Maghnes Akliouche are absent due to injuries. These absences notably led Zidane to keep Malo Gusto and call up new profiles.
The full list of 23 called-up players
Goalkeepers (3): Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Guillaume Restes (Toulouse FC), Robin Risser (RC Lens).
Defenders (8): Andy Diouf (Inter Milan), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Jérémy Jacquet (Liverpool), Pierre Kalulu (Juventus Turin), Ibrahima Konaté (Real Madrid), Adrien Truffert (Bournemouth), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Leny Yoro (Manchester United).
Midfielders (6): Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Lucas Da Cunha (Como), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain).
Forwards (6): Bradley Barcola (Liverpool), Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Pablo Pagis (Paris FC), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan).
Two matches to secure quarter-final qualification
The France team will approach its last two Nations League matches in a favorable position. Since his appointment as head of the Blues, Zinédine Zidane has achieved three wins and one draw. The French beat Turkey (1-0), then Belgium twice (1-0 and 4-1), before sharing points with Italy (1-1).
With 10 points on the board, the Tricolors have a three-point lead over the Italians. The trip to Milan on Thursday, November 12, could allow them to definitively validate their ticket for the quarter-finals. A draw would be enough to reach this objective.
France will then finish its group stage on Sunday, November 15, against Turkey at the Stade Atlantique in Bordeaux. The Nations League quarter-finals will be held in March 2027.
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