Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir produced a fingertip save to divert Michael Olises curling shot over the crossbar as Turkey and Frances Nations League opener reached half-time goalless at the Turka Arac Muayene Kocaeli Stadyumu on Friday. Bayern Munich winger Olise forced Galatasarays Cakir to intervene in acrobatic style with the interval approaching at the end of a quiet opening period for Bleus captain Kylian Mbappe, who was deployed on the left in France legend Zinedine Zidanes first game in charge.Les Bleus all-time record 66-goal scorer fired a shot wide from Olises pass as the visitors finished the half with two-thirds of possession, having embarked upon 20 of the 26 attacks between the teams.Turkey team vs FranceTurkey made four changes from their closing 3-2 win over the USA at the World Cup on June 26, bringing in Merih Demiral in defence, Can Uzun and Ismail Yuksek in midfield and Ferdi Kadioglu on the left.Turkey: Ugurcan Cakir, Zeki Celik, Merih Demiral, Salih Ozcan, Arda Guler, Can Uzun, Abdulkerim Bardakci, Ismail Yuksek, Oguz Aydin, Ferdi Kadioglu, Baris Alper YilmazSubstitutes: Altay Bayndr, Okan Kocuk, Emirhan Topcu, Melih Kabasakal, Kerem Akturkoglu, Deniz Gul, Eren Elmali, Ozan Kabak, Irfan Can Kahveci, Yunus Akgun, Aral SimsirFrance team vs Turkey in Nations LeagueFrance made four alterations from their 6-4 defeat to England in the third-placed match at the World Cup, introducing Adrien Truffert and Jules Kounde in defence, Manu Kone in midfield and Ousmane Dembele in attack.France: Mike Maignan, Adrien Truffert, Dayot Upamecano, Jules Kounde, Ousmane Dembele, Manu Kone, Rayan Cherki, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Adrien Rabiot, Maxence LacroixSubstitutes: Guillaume Restes, Jean Butez, Pierre Kalulu, Eduardo Camavinga, Bradley Barcola, Andy Diouf, Leny Yoro, Maghnes Akliouche, Esteban Lepaul, Desire Doue, Lucas Da Cunha, Jeremy JacquetWhere to watch Turkey vs France: TV channel, live online streamKick-off on Friday was at 19:45 BST (14:45 ET / 11:45 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Amazon Prime PPV, which charges �2.49 for the game.For coverage around the world, visit UEFAs Nations League international broadcaster list.Turkey vs France Nations League statsThis was Turkeys 655th match of all time across a record spanning 260 wins and 243 defeats, including a 4-1 victory over Georgia in World Cup qualifying last year in their only previous game at the Kocaeli StadyumuThey have played in the city of Kocaeli before, beating Chile 10 in a friendly in 2008 courtesy of Halil Altntops second-half goalTurkeys only win over France came in their sole competitive home game in the fixture, winning 2-0 in EURO qualifying in June 2019 courtesy of goals from Cengiz Under and Kaan AyhanWith two goals each, defender Ayhan and France forwards Robert Pires and Sylvain Wiltord are the joint scorers in the history of the fixtureIncluding friendlies, Vincenzo Montellas side have lost one of their last nine matches in Turkey (W7 D1), the exception being a 6-0 defeat to current world champions Spain in World Cup qualifying last SeptemberFrance have won four of the previous six meetings between these teams, with Turkey winning once and the teams sharing their only draw in their most recent meeting in 2019, scoring a goal apiece in EURO qualifying at the Stade de FranceThis was Frances 944th match since 1904, amassing 480 wins, 195 draws and 268 defeats while scoring 1,711 goal and conceding 1,272Mbappe is Frances ninth most-capped player, level with Patrick Vieira and one behind Zidanes totalEach of Frances last nine goals have come after the 47th minute, with four scored by Mbappe and two by Ousmane Dembele, who scored each of his after the 65th minuteThey have scored at least twice in five of their last six Nations League matches outside of France, failing to do so in a 2-0 defeat to Croatia in Split in March 2025, although they won the return match 2-0 and advanced to the semi-finals on penalties Topics Bradley Barcola France National Football Team Kylian Mbappe Ousmane Dembele Turkey National Football Team Zinedine Zidane Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Turkey vs France live: Confirmed teams and line ups Ben Miller 25th September, 2026 Tip of the Day: Zidane to get off the mark and Mancini to make losing return Nicholas McGee 25th September, 2026 Turkey v France: Preview, expected line-ups, stats and where to watch Nicholas McGee 24th September, 2026 Lamine Yamal explains why goals should not decide the Ballon dOr Mitch Fretton 23rd September, 2026 Kylian Mbappe reveals his mother fell in love with Liverpool during transfer talks Mitch Fretton 22nd September, 2026 Jose Mourinho rants about referees again after Real Madrid defeat Ben Miller 21st September, 2026
