Surprising news from the French national team camp: Dayot Upamecano has left the Équipe Tricolore early. The FC Bayern center back has already returned to Munich and will therefore miss the crucial Nations League match against Turkey. The decision was made for personal reasons.

As the French Football Federation officially announced on Friday, the 28-year-old’s departure took place in consultation with national team coach Zinédine Zidane. The federation did not provide any details regarding the exact circumstances.

“With the coach’s approval, Dayot Upamecano has left the team’s headquarters and is returning to Munich for personal reasons,” the official statement reads.

Upamecano will be absent for France in the decisive match

For the French national team, this last-minute absence comes at the worst possible time.

On Thursday evening, Zinédine Zidane’s team suffered a 1-3 defeat against Italy in their Nations League match. The French defense, in particular, revealed some weaknesses during the game.

Now the national team coach must also do without his most experienced center back in the current roster.

Upamecano has been one of the French national team’s most important defenders for years and remains a key part of the squad under Zidane.

Despite his early departure, the national team coach initially chose not to call up a replacement.

This coming Sunday, France will host Turkey in Bordeaux. The match will determine which of the two teams advances to the quarterfinals of the Nations League.

Following the loss to Italy, the French are under pressure. Without Upamecano, Zidane must now reshuffle his defensive lineup.

No indications of an injury for the Bayern star

For FC Bayern, the news is particularly interesting because Upamecano is returning to Säbener Straße earlier than planned.

The French Football Federation explicitly cited personal reasons for his departure. The official statement made no mention of an injury.

It is currently unknown whether the center back will immediately rejoin the Munich squad’s training upon his return.

For Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, losing his defensive leader would certainly be problematic. The 28-year-old is one of the most important players in the German record champions’ defense.

After the international break, Munich is scheduled to host 1. FC Köln in a Bundesliga match on November 20.

Until then, it remains to be seen whether Upamecano will be available as usual.

The only thing that is certain so far is that the Bayern player left the French national team early with Zinédine Zidane’s approval. No details about the personal reasons behind his departure have been disclosed.

This article was translated into English by AI. You can read the original version here https://fcbinside.de/2026/11/13/bayern-star-upamecano-reist-ueberraschend-von-nationalmannschaft-ab/.