Zinédine Zidane’s Coaching Debut Triumphs with France’s 1-0 Win Over Turkey

Zinédine Zidane marked the beginning of his tenure as head coach of the French national football team with a victorious 1-0 win against Turkey in the UEFA Nations League. The match, played on Friday night, captured the attention of millions, with 6.82 million viewers tuning in on TF1, translating to a remarkable 37.7% audience share. This made it the most-watched program of the evening, significantly outperforming other broadcasts like France 3's *Les Secrets du Finistère* and France 2’s papal vigil.

Michael Olise, Bayern Munich’s rising star, played a pivotal role by providing the assist that led to Kylian Mbappé’s decisive 54th-minute goal. Olise's assist was his ninth of the year for the French team, tying a record set by Raymond Kopa in 1958 and placing Olise alongside some of French football’s greatest. This feat also followed Olise’s seven assists during the 2026 World Cup, underscoring his historic influence in the team’s playmaking. However, the celebration was tempered as Mbappé suffered a knee injury during the goal.

The strong viewership reflects renewed enthusiasm for the national team under Zidane, as TF1’s sports director Julien Millereux expressed optimism about the 'Zidane effect' boosting future audiences, especially with Euro 2028 approaching. This 6.82 million figure notably exceeds recent non-World Cup matches, which averaged around 4.9 million viewers.

Looking ahead, France is set to face Belgium and Italy, with these matches also to be broadcast live on TF1. Meanwhile, football fans are eagerly watching to see if Michael Olise can break Kopa’s longstanding assist record in the forthcoming contests. Zidane’s first outing has not only been a tactical success on the pitch but also re-energized public interest and support for Les Bleus.