PARIS (AP) — Already depleted with injuries, France lost another important player in Dayot Upamecano, who has left his teammates after the 3-1 loss to Italy in soccer's Nations League.
The French team said on Friday that the Bayern defender was allowed by coach Zinedine Zidane to return to Munich for a “personal reason.”
Pio Esposito scored two goals on Thursday as Italy beat France for a first victory over Les Bleus on home soil in 64 years. The Italian win also marked Zidane's first loss since he took charge of France after the World Cup as a replacement for Didier Deschamps.
Italy moved top of Group A1, above France thanks to a better head-to-head record. Zidane's team hosts Turkey on Sunday
Zidane has been dealing with an avalanche of injuries. Inter Milan forward Marcus Thuram and Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu were ruled out this week after William Saliba, Jules Koundé, Maxence Lacroix, Manu Koné, Ousmane Dembélé and Esteban Lepaul were already sidelined. Star striker Kylian Mbappé’ was rested against Italy but could make his return against Turkey.
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France's head coach Zinedine Zidane reacts after France loses the match during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italy and France in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
France's Dayot Upamecano, left, and Italy's Antonio Vergara battle for the ball during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italy and France in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
PERTH, Australia (AP) — Mahli Beardman took six wickets to return the best figures ever by an Australian bowler on his one-day international cricket debut and Mitch Marsh plundered the England bowlers to complete a seven-wicket victory Friday in the opening game of the series.
The white-ball series was overshadowed this week by the reignition of the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal.
Less than four hours before the toss, Australia test captain Pat Cummins held a news conference in Sydney and described claims in Usman Khwaja’s autobiography released this week as “complete and utter nonsense.”
The 21-year-old Beardman did his upmost to get attention back on the field, taking his first ODI wicket with his eighth delivery and quickly rattling England’s best batters to snare 6-24 and help dismiss the visitors for 131 in under 34 overs.
Marsh belted 50 from 30 deliveries after losing opening partner Travis Head for a first-ball duck to power Australia’s start. Cooper Connolly (27), Josh Inglis (23 not out) and Matt Renshaw (26 not out) contributed as Australia reached 132-3 with 159 deliveries to spare.
The lopsided nature of the game started when Beardman dismissed skipper Harry Brook (1) in the 12th over and former skipper Joe Root (17) — playing his 200th one-day international — in the 14th.
He dismissed Jordan Cox (2) and Sam Curran (0) in his fourth over as England slumped to 58-6 at the end of the 16th. He then picked up Liam Dawson (0) in his fifth over to become the only Australian other than Tony Dodemaide — (5-21 against Sri Lanka in 1988) — to claim a five-wicket haul on ODI debut.
Beardman finished off the innings with the wicket of No. 11 Jofra Archer (11).
“It all happened very quickly,” Beardman said in a post-session TV interview. “It's a great privilege and honor to be able to represent my country. To go out and take a few wickets as well was just cherry on top.”
Beardman's only previous international experience was a T20 against Pakistan at Lahore in January.
The Western Australian paceman used an ideal length that he learned in the Perth conditions to elicit edges from Brook, Root and Cox as they tried to play forward, and he pulled it back to have Curren caught at fine leg from a short-pitched delivery. His fifth wicket, a fuller ball that moved away, had Dawson caught slicing to backward point.
Left-arm paceman Spencer Johnson (3-42) started the wickets tumbling when he got some extra bounce and had Ben Duckett caught at backward point in the fifth over. And he took a spectacular leaping, one-handed return catch to dismiss Jamie Overton (4) as England ended the 19th over at 65-8.
Will Jacks helped England reach triple figures with a steadying knock of 25 from 47 balls in a ninth-wicket stand with Gus Atkinson but fell to the first delivery from Johnson after a drinks break and the total slipped to 102-9.
Australia’s squad for the three ODIs and five T20s against England is missing front-line pace bowlers Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland, who are all resting ahead of the four-test series against New Zealand and next year's test tours to India and England.
After winning the toss and electing to bowl Friday, Australia's ODI captain Mitch Marsh described his lineup as a “reasonably young and inexperienced side, but lots of energy.”
Australia and England will meet again Sunday in Adelaide in the second game of the ODI series.
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Australia's captain Mitchell Marsh plays a shot during the first one-day international cricket match between Australia and England in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Richard Wainwright/AAP Image via AP)
Australia's captain Mitchell Marsh celebrates after reaching his half-century during the first one-day international cricket match between Australia and England in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Richard Wainwright/AAP Image via AP)
England's Joe Root bats during the first one-day international cricket match between Australia and England in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Richard Wainwright/AAP Image via AP)
Australia's Mahli Beardman is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Liam Dawson during the first one-day international cricket match between Australia and England in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Richard Wainwright/AAP Image via AP)
Australia's Mahli Beardman celebrates after taking the wicket of England's Harry Brook during the first one-day international cricket match between Australia and England in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Richard Wainwright/AAP Image via AP)
FILE - Delhi Capitals' David Warner waves to his fans during the awards ceremony at the end of the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings in Visakhapatnam, India, March. 31, 2024.(AP Photo/ Surjeet Yadav File)
FILE - Australia's Usman Khawaja leaves the ground after losing his wicket during day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle, Sri Lanka, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena File)
