Zinedine Zidane was asked if taking charge of his first France game on Friday will feel just as special as his playing debut for Les Bleus more than 30 years ago.

"Even more so, maybe," a smiling Zidane said Thursday ahead of a Nations League game at Turkey. "I feel an immense emotion being at the head of this France team."

In the end, Jürgen Klopp and Xavi Hernandez gave one another a big hug on the sideline and headed for the locker rooms, honors even, unbeaten international records intact.

Thursday's 1-1 draw between Germany and the Netherlands in the Nations League was the international coaching debut for both men, who both inherited teams that disappointed at the World Cup.

The four main European football leagues -- the English Premier League, Spain's La Liga, Italy's Serie A and Germany's Bundesliga -- called on Friday for a reform of FIFA.

The sport's governing body has been mired in crisis since the revelation of a shelved plan to create a commercial company open to private investors.

Cristiano Ronaldo weighed ending his Portugal career after the World Cup and acknowledged Wednesday some critics at home want him out of the team.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo was confirmed by coach Jorge Jesus as a starter for this 234th Portugal game — on Thursday against Wales in the Nations League.

Ibrahima Konaté has pulled out of France's squad after hurting his knee in training and returned to Real Madrid.

The center back felt pain in his right knee during a practice session on Wednesday and a scan showed a minor sprain, the national team said.

England would be making a mistake by trying to replicate Spain's successful style of play in a bid to win major tournaments, winger Anthony Gordon said ahead of Saturday's match between the European giants.

Gordon is well-placed to discuss the qualities of Spain's World Cup-winning players, given he now trains daily with many of them — like Rodri, Lamine Yamal, Pedri and more — following his offseason move to La Liga champion Barcelona.

FIFA's embattled president Gianni Infantino said Thursday he is committed to a fresh culture of openness at the soccer body that is "not about generating positive headlines."

Two months into a deep rift for global soccer because of Infantino's now-dropped $4.2 billion World Cup sell-off plan, he offered to his critics this week an independent review of how FIFA is run and makes decisions.

American football will make its debut in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday at a futebol cathedral.

The 78,000-seat Maracana Stadium is a revered soccer venue that has hosted two World Cup championship games, Olympic gold medal matches for men and women, and numerous clashes between South America's biggest teams. Now the Baltimore Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys will play the NFL's first game in Rio there, one of a record nine international contests on the league schedule this season.

A French court on Wednesday upheld a decision to send Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco footballer Achraf Hakimi to trial on a rape charge, a judicial source told AFP.

France and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe continued his media push to win the Ballon d'Or by insisting on Tuesday that he feels confident he will claim the prestigious award.