Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele 'feud' erupts as Zinedine Zidane makes risky first France call
Zinedine Zidane is set to make a risky decision ahead of his first game in charge of France this evening after reports of a supposed feud between Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele surfaced.
At last, five years on from his Real Madrid exit, Zidane returns to management this evening when he will oversee France’s Nations League Group A clash against Turkey in Izmit.
The fixture is also France’s first since they lost 6-4 to England in the World Cup bronze match, and it appears Zidane is set to make a controversial decision.
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Zinedine Zidane to make risky France decision against Turkey
Reports from French outlet L’Equipe have emerged suggesting Zidane is set to shake up the positions of key attackers Michael Olise, Dembele and Mbappe.
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Olise was used mainly as a No. 10 by previous boss Didier Deschamps at the 2026 World Cup, while Bradley Barcola started on the left, with Dembele on the right flank as Mbappe led the line, scoring 10 times at the tournament.
Zidane intends to play a 4-3-3 formation, a clear difference from Deschamps’ favoured 4-2-3-1, with Dembele expected to start further forward, Olise on the right and Mbappe on the left.
“Mbappé will be my captain. He can play in all three attacking positions. Personally, I like him better on the left,” Zidane said when confirming the change.
Manu Kone will anchor the midfield, with Adrien Rabiot and Rayan Cherki ahead of him.
Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele embroiled in ‘feud’
This comes after RMC reported tension between Mbappe and Dembele, which supposedly stems from the Real Madrid star’s comments about the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
Ten years ago, he said: “But he has always been seen as a talented player. I, on the other hand, have always been seen as the chosen one.
“I was at the top right away, from a very young age. He had a different journey, with injuries, but he has caught up really well.”
Both men are on the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 award, with Dembele picking up the gong in 2025 after helping Paris Saint-Germain win the treble under Luis Enrique.
Dembele later gave his own take, saying: “I've always been like that, you know, at the back of the class, working hard.”
He added: “Throughout my career, I haven't said a word, I've just worked, incredibly hard. Like I said, I've never been chosen, but I've worked incredibly hard.
“Last year, I was rewarded for a fantastic year with PSG. This year, we'll see. No pressure, relaxed.”
Despite the rumours of an emerging feud, Mbappe has publicly insisted that “there’s no tension” between the pair.
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Following tonight’s match against Turkey, Les Bleus face Belgium on September 28 and Italy on October 2 before facing the Belgians again on October 5.
Topics: Zinedine Zidane, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, UEFA Nations League
Luke Davies