Zidane Names First France Squad; Debuts for Five Players as Benzema and Kanté Excluded

Zinedine Zidane named his first 23-man France squad on Friday, handing debut call-ups to Esteban Lepaul and Jérémy Jacquet while ruling out returns for Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté.

Zinedine Zidane named his first 23-man France squad on Friday at the French soccer federation's headquarters, handing debut call-ups to Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, Liverpool defender Jérémy Jacquet, Como midfielder Lucas Da Cunha, Inter Milan's Andy Diouf, and Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes. The new manager confirmed he is moving on from 38-year-old forward Karim Benzema and 35-year-old midfielder N'Golo Kanté to focus on younger players.

Les Bleus are scheduled to play in Türkiye on Sept. 25 and Belgium on Sept. 28, followed by a home match against Italy on Oct. 2 and a second meeting with Belgium on Oct. 5. Zidane, who replaced Didier Deschamps after the World Cup, indicated that Andy Diouf will be utilized as a left back despite playing in midfield for Inter Milan. The squad also features the return of fullback Adrien Truffert, who earned his only previous cap four years ago.

Esteban Lepaul earned his selection after scoring 20 league goals for Rennes last season and netting three goals in four games during the current campaign. Jérémy Jacquet, 21, joins the senior team following a €70 million ($80 million) offseason transfer from Rennes to Liverpool. Zidane opted for a standard 23-player roster to ensure all selected athletes remain involved in matchday activities rather than sitting in the stands.