Turkey vs France Lineups, Prediction, Betting Tips & Odds

Turkey vs France Match Summary

For the South African neutral tuning in on Friday night, this is a proper watch: Turkey host a France side that arrive in the Nations League as clear favourites.

The home side are rebuilding after a bruising summer, with defeats to Australia and Paraguay knocking them out of their tournament before a gameweek three win over the USA salvaged some pride.

France, meanwhile, open a new chapter under Zinedine Zidane, who called it "an immense emotion being at the head of this France team" ahead of his managerial debut, with Kylian Mbappe confirmed as his captain.

Across all previous meetings between the sides, the record reads one home win, two draws and three away wins, giving France the historical edge as they chase the points in Kocaeli.

Turkey vs France Form

Turkey come in on the back foot after a disappointing summer, eliminated following defeats to Australia and Paraguay before a consolation win over the USA. To their credit, the hosts had reeled off four straight wins before that tournament stumble. With Hakan Calhanoglu missing, Arda Güler and Can Uzun carry the creative load in front of goal.

France also left North America empty-handed, beaten by eventual champions Spain in the semi-finals before a wild 6-4 loss to England in the third-place match. That says plenty about their attacking firepower even in a down moment. Mbappe and Michael Olise headline a squad that still looks a level above most on the log.

Turkey vs France Lineups & Team News

Injuries & Suspensions

Turkey: H. Çalhanoglu (Injured/out), K. Yildiz (Injured/out), M. Müldür (Injured/out), O. Kökçü (Injured/out), D. Gül (Injured/doubtful), Y. Akgün (Injured/doubtful)

France: J. Mateta (Injured/out), T. Hernández (Injured/out), W. Zaïre-Emery (Injured/out), W. Saliba (Injured/out)

Turkey

The home side have a lengthy list to contend with, missing several key men including Hakan Calhanoglu and Kenan Yildiz, while Yunus Akgün and Deniz Gül are both doubtful for Friday night. That thins out the engine room and hands even more responsibility to Arda Güler and Can Uzun as the main men in attack.

France

France are without attacking duo Hugo Ekitike and Jean-Philippe Mateta for the trip to Turkey, alongside a defensive absence in William Saliba. Even so, Zinedine Zidane looks set to lean on his attacking firepower for his first game in charge, starting Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise.

Turkey vs France Predicted Lineup

Turkey

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Predicted Starting Lineup: Çakir; Elmali, Bardakci, Kabak, Çelik; Yüksek, Özcan; Aktürkoglu, Güler, Uzun; Yilmaz

France

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Predicted Starting Lineup: Maignan; Diouf, Lacroix, Upamecano, Koundé; Rabiot, Camavinga; Doué, Cherki, Olise; Mbappé

Turkey vs France Key Stats & Match Facts

• France sit second in the form rankings for this competition, well clear of a Turkey side down in fourth.
• France travel to Kocaeli as the shortest price on the Win Market, priced at 4/11 with Betfred.
• The draw is rated a 5/1 shot with Skybet, underlining how one-sided the market reads this fixture.

Turkey vs France Prediction & Best Bets

Our prediction: France look the stronger side here and are tipped to take control on the road, with the numbers pointing to a comfortable 0-3 away win in Zidane's first outing. A Turkey side shorn of several key men should struggle to live with Mbappe and Olise over 90 minutes.

Best Bets

Back Both Teams To Score (Yes) in Turkey vs France. Both nations carry genuine attacking threat, with Mbappe and Olise up top for France and Arda Güler pulling the strings for Turkey. Defensive absentees such as William Saliba and Hakan Calhanoglu only add to the sense that chances will fall at both ends.

Back France to win in the Win Market. France enter as firm favourites with superior squad depth and quality across every department, up against a Turkey outfit missing key personnel. For me, that class gap makes the away side the standout call in the Win Market.

Turkey vs France Bet Builder

Our four-leg bet builder backs France to win, Kylian Mbappe to score anytime, both teams to score, and Ismail Yuksek to be shown a card at the Turka Arac Muayene Kocaeli Stadyumu.

France to win is the anchor: they arrive with far more depth and quality across the pitch, and a Turkey side missing several key men should be second best in Kocaeli.

Mbappe to score anytime is a natural add. As captain and the focal point of Zidane's attack, the France skipper is the obvious source of goals against a stretched home defence.

Both teams to score fits the picture too, with Arda Güler and Can Uzun capable of testing a France backline shorn of William Saliba at the other end.

Ismail Yuksek to be shown a card completes it. Anchoring the engine room, he is the man tasked with breaking up France attacks, and that duty brings a regular booking risk.

At the time of writing, this bet builder pays a best price of 43/5 and is as short as 15/2 elsewhere. That's a difference in potential winnings of R11 from best to worst price.

Make sure to get the best odds on your Bet Builder with Oddschecker's Exclusive Bet Builder Comparison Tool.

Bet builder odds correct at time of publishing.

Turkey vs France Talking Points

The headline story is Zinedine Zidane taking his first steps as France head coach, a debut that will hold the eye of any football watcher in South Africa. Mbappe, who described having Zidane in the dugout as something out of a film after first meeting him as a youth trialist at Real Madrid, leads the line as captain. For Turkey, a battered squad and a raft of injuries make this a night about damage limitation against a France side clearly on the front foot.

Turkey vs France Predictions FAQs

When is the Turkey vs France UEFA Nations League game?

The Turkey vs France match takes place on Friday 25 September 2026, kicking off at 20:45 SAST.

Where is Turkey vs France being played?

The fixture will be played at Turka Arac Muayene Kocaeli Stadyumu.

What are the predicted lineups for Turkey vs France?

Turkey's probable starting lineup is Çakir, Elmali, Bardakci, Kabak, Çelik, Yüksek, Özcan, Aktürkoglu, Güler, Uzun, and Yilmaz. France are expected to start Maignan, Diouf, Lacroix, Upamecano, Koundé, Rabiot, Camavinga, Doué, Cherki, Olise, and Mbappé.

What is the match prediction for Turkey vs France?

France are predicted to claim victory in Zinedine Zidane's first match in charge, capitalising on a Turkey side hampered by multiple key injuries.

Disclaimer

Important information: This article may contain links to betting offers or promotions for Turkey vs France that were available at the time of publication. These offers may have since expired, changed, or no longer be available.

Oddschecker offers are selected from operators that our football experts work with regularly and have first-hand experience of. If you open an account via one of these links, Oddschecker may earn commission. This helps support our coverage and allows us to continue producing expert analysis and football content across UEFA Nations League.

Please gamble responsibly. 18+.