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Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal of the game as France opened the Zinedine Zidane era with a narrow 1-0 victory over Turkey in the UEFA Nations League.
The French captain struck early in the second half to settle a tense contest, although his night ended prematurely after he was forced off with an apparent knee problem just minutes later.
For Zidane, the result provided a winning start in his first competitive match in charge of Les Bleus.
France Control the Game but Turkey Stay Dangerous
France enjoyed most of the possession and looked comfortable on the ball, but Turkey remained a threat whenever they broke forward.
The hosts defended with intensity and tried to exploit space in transition, while France patiently searched for openings through Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and Mbappé.
Turkey also had moments of their own, with Arda Güler heavily involved in their most dangerous attacking moves.
Despite France controlling large spells of the first half, neither side managed to find the breakthrough before the interval.
Mbappé Breaks the Deadlock
The decisive moment arrived in the 54th minute.
Olise found space in an advanced area and released Mbappé, who controlled the ball before sending a composed low finish past the Turkey goalkeeper.
It was exactly the kind of moment France needed after struggling to convert their territorial dominance into clear chances.
Mbappé's goal also gave Zidane the first goal of his tenure as France manager.
Injury Scare Changes the Mood
The celebrations did not last long.
Mbappé required treatment soon after scoring and attempted to continue, but he went down again shortly afterwards.
The France captain was eventually replaced by Désiré Doué, leaving the field while appearing to feel discomfort around his left knee.
Although Mbappé was able to walk off without assistance, the incident immediately became a major concern for both France and Real Madrid.
At the time of the match, there was no confirmed diagnosis regarding the severity of the problem.
Arda Güler Leads Turkey's Response
Turkey refused to give up after falling behind and continued pushing for an equaliser.
Arda Güler became increasingly influential, looking to create openings between the French midfield and defence.
France goalkeeper Mike Maignan was called into action on several occasions and produced important saves to protect his side's advantage.
France also had chances to extend their lead, with Jules Koundé coming close to making it 2-0.
Late Red Card Ends Turkey's Hopes
Turkey's task became even harder late in the match when goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır was sent off.
Çakır came outside his penalty area while trying to stop a French attack and was punished after a VAR review.
The red card left Turkey with 10 men during the closing stages and effectively ended their hopes of finding a late equaliser.
France managed the final minutes professionally and held on for all three points.
Winning Start for Zidane
The performance was not perfect, but the result gives Zidane a positive start to life as France manager.
His team controlled most of the ball, defended well under pressure and found a way to win a difficult away match.
However, the biggest talking point after the final whistle was not the result.
Mbappé had delivered the winning goal, but his injury ensured the night ended with uncertainty rather than celebration.
France leave Turkey with three points.
Now they will be waiting for news on their captain.
