Zidane strongly supports Dembele's leadership abilities

France, nicknamed the "Les Bleus," will travel to Belgium for their second group stage match in Group A of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League. Zinedine Zidane stated that even without the captain's armband, Ousmane Dembélé has always played a leadership role in the team.

In the earlier first round of group matches, France defeated Türkiye 1-0 after Kylian Mbappé scored a goal in the second half.

Unfortunately, French captain Kylian Mbappé suffered an injury after scoring the goal and had to withdraw from the national team early, while Ousmane Dembélé will wear the captain's armband in the match against Belgium.

French coach Zinedine Zidane said, "Dembele has already taken on this role. He is the team's vice-captain, and even without wearing the captain's armband, he has always shouldered this responsibility. He is a very good person and is always willing to help his teammates, so we must rely on his experience. Of course, I have expectations for everyone, not just the captain."

"This is a team that gets along very well. We've been together for a week now, and I can tell they really enjoy being with each other. That's the French national team for you. There will be some great games here, and the pace of football is just too fast."

Zidane said, "I'm 54 years old and can't play anymore, so I told them to enjoy the present moment because time flies. The French national team is so wonderful, and I hope they can truly enjoy these moments."

“Everything is important, but the most important thing is to understand each other. We’ve had some rest time, and instead of focusing on training, we’re thinking more about recovery and treatment because we haven’t had enough time. Our goal is to be ready for the game, and then of course, to win. We are all competitors, and the thing we want to do most is win.”

In addition, Zidane added, "We must continue to improve ourselves, and we will definitely make progress. Our goal is to regain possession as soon as possible, and more importantly, to control possession so that the team plays through possession, rather than running around without the ball for extended periods."

Image source: Internet