Zidane Confirmed As France Head Coach

Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has been confirmed as head coach of the France national team, succeeding Didier Deschamps, whose 14-year reign ended following the country’s semi-final exit to Spain at the 2026 World Cup.

Zidane, who won the World Cup with France in 1998, had been out of management since leaving Real Madrid for the second time in 2021.

The 54-year-old, widely regarded as the greatest player in French football history, will sign a contract taking him through France’s 2030 World Cup qualifying campaign.

On his appointment, Zidane said it was “a great source of pride” to take charge of the national side after their fourth-place finish at the World Cup, adding that there was “nothing greater than the French national team” and that leading it was both a joy and a responsibility.

He thanked French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo and the federation’s executive committee for their confidence in him, acknowledged Deschamps’ 14 years of service, and said he held high ambitions for the team going forward.

Diallo described Zidane as a “legend” of French football, saying his appointment marked the coming together of a decorated figure in the history of Les Bleus with a squad of rare potential and high ambition.

Deschamps, whose tenure was the longest in the history of the French national team, led the side to three major finals, including victory at the 2018 World Cup.

Zidane’s first competitive match in charge will be a Nations League trip to Turkey on 25 September, with qualification for Euro 2028 to follow.

Zidane’s coaching career began in 2014, when he took charge of Real Madrid Castilla, the club’s reserve side.

He was promoted to first-team manager in January 2016 and, by the end of that season, had already won the Champions League, beating city rivals Atletico Madrid on penalties in the final.

That triumph was the first of three consecutive Champions League titles under his management, making Real Madrid the first club to win back-to-back European titles in the Champions League era and the first to claim three in a row since Bayern Munich in the 1970s.

He also won La Liga in 2016-17 before leaving the club the following year, saying the team needed change.

Zidane returned to Madrid in March 2019 with the club struggling for form, guiding them to another league title the following season while overseeing a period of heavy spending that included the signings of Eden Hazard and Rodrygo.

He left the club again at the end of a trophyless 2020-21 season and has not managed since.

He had long been linked with the France job, with speculation dating back to the team’s group-stage exit at the 2010 World Cup. Sixteen years on, he has finally taken the role.

As a player, Zidane began his career at Cannes in 1989 before moving to Bordeaux and then Juventus in 1996, where he helped the club win back-to-back Serie A titles and reach consecutive Champions League finals. He joined Real Madrid in 2001 for a then-world-record fee of £66 million, becoming part of the club’s Galacticos era alongside stars including Ronaldo, Luis Figo and David Beckham.

He justified that fee with a spectacular volleyed winner in the 2002 Champions League final as Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1.

For France, his most significant moment as a player came in the 1998 World Cup final in Paris, where he scored twice as France beat Brazil 3-0 to win their first World Cup.

He was awarded the Ballon d’Or later that year and was part of the France squad that won Euro 2000, though the team endured disappointing exits at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004.

Zidane retired from international football in 2004 but returned during qualification for the 2006 World Cup.

He played a central role as France advanced to the final against Italy – his last match as a professional – scoring the opening goal with a Panenka penalty.

Italy equalised and the match went to extra time, during which Zidane was sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi. Italy went on to win the final on penalties.