Zinedine Zidane was officially named head coach of the France national football team on July 28, 2026, signing a four-year contract to take over from Didier Deschamps [1, 2, 3]. Deschamps stepped down after managing France since 2012 and leading the team to the 2018 World Cup title and a 2022 World Cup final appearance [4, 3].
Zidane, 54, has long been regarded as the top candidate for the role and turned down club coaching offers over the past four to five years to wait for this opportunity. "The national team is the only thing I wanted," Zidane said, expressing strong enthusiasm for the position [4, 3]. He added, "For me, it's an immense joy... about being able to become the coach of this French team" [3].
Born June 23, 1972, in Marseille, Zidane began his professional playing career at AS Cannes in 1989 before spells at Bordeaux, Juventus, and Real Madrid [1, 5, 2]. He earned 108 international caps for France, scoring 31 goals and played a key role in the nation’s 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 victories as well as the 2006 World Cup final [1, 4, 6, 3].
As a coach, Zidane led Real Madrid in two periods (2016-2018 and 2019-2021), winning three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles and two La Liga championships [1, 2, 3]. Zidane left Real Madrid in May 2021 and had maintained his goal to manage France ever since, publicly stating in 2022, "When I say I want to manage France’s team one day, I mean it" [6].
Initial talks with French football officials about succeeding Deschamps began in February 2025 [4]. Zidane said he intends to bring some continuity from Deschamps’ tenure but also "do things differently" tactically. "I can't explain to you in just a couple of words how we're going win. I have to arrive, meet with the players, and explain my plans to them," he said [4].
Zidane's appointment sets a clear timeline for the next phase of the France team's development under a new leader following the 2026 World Cup. The football federation will now look ahead to upcoming matches as Zidane prepares to begin his coaching tenure with the national team [1, 2, 3].
