One of the most decorated figures in global football, Zinedine Zidane, has officially been named the new head coach of the French men’s national team, filling the vacancy left by long-serving manager Didier Deschamps following the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Deschamps, France’s longest-tenured senior team manager, stepped down from his role after 14 years at the helm, ending his tenure following France’s semi-final elimination against eventual tournament winners Spain at the 2026 World Cup, where Les Bleus ultimately finished fourth. Over his 14-year reign, Deschamps steered France to three major international finals, including a historic second World Cup title in 2018, cementing his legacy as one of the most successful managers in French football history.
For Zidane, a legendary figure for French football both as a player and a coach, the appointment marks the end of a five-year break from management and the culmination of nearly two decades of speculation linking him to the top job with Les Bleus. The 54-year-old, who is widely regarded as France’s greatest ever player, has not held a senior coaching role since leaving Real Madrid for the second time in 2021, following a trophyless domestic campaign. He will now sign a contract that runs through the 2030 FIFA World Cup qualifying cycle, with his first competitive test coming on 25 September, when France travels to Turkey for a UEFA Nations League fixture. Zidane will also lead the team through European Championship 2028 qualifying.
Speaking after his official appointment, Zidane expressed overwhelming pride in taking on the role of leading his home nation. “I’ve often said it: there’s nothing greater than the French national team. So it’s a joy and obviously a great source of pride to become the manager of this French national team,” he said. “It’s also a responsibility. I want to thank [French Football Federation] president Philippe Diallo, the executive committee, and the French Football Federation for their confidence. I also acknowledge the 14 years of incredible service from Didier and his entire staff. I have high ambitions for the French national team, there is no doubt about that.”
Diallo echoed Zidane’s sentiment, framing the appointment as a historic milestone for French football. “The appointment of Zinedine Zidane as head coach of the French national team is a source of immense pride for the French Football Federation,” he said. “It marks the meeting of a legend in the history of Les Bleus, who has become one of the most decorated and respected coaches of his generation, and a team with rare potential, driven by the highest ambitions.”
Zidane’s path to the top job with France has been decades in the making, starting with a legendary playing career that reshaped the global game. Born in Marseille, he launched his professional career in 1989 with Cannes, before moving to Bordeaux and eventually Italian giants Juventus in 1996. As an attacking midfielder, he guided Juventus to back-to-back Serie A titles and consecutive Champions League finals, earning a then-world-record £66 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2001, where he became a centerpiece of the club’s iconic Galacticos era alongside superstars including Ronaldo, Luis Figo and David Beckham. He delivered one of the most iconic goals in Champions League history in the 2002 final, a stunning volleyed winner against Bayer Leverkusen that secured Madrid’s ninth European crown.
As a player for France, Zidane’s legacy is unmatched. He scored two iconic headed goals in the 1998 World Cup final on home soil in Paris, leading France to a 3-0 victory over Brazil for the nation’s first ever World Cup title, and earned the Ballon d’Or later that year. He added a UEFA Euro title to his international honors in 2000, before retiring from international play in 2004. He came out of international retirement to help France qualify for the 2006 World Cup, and steered Les Bleus to another final against Italy, where he scored the opening goal with a deft Panenka penalty before his tournament ended in infamy with a red card for a headbutt on Marco Materazzi; Italy went on to win the title on penalties.
Zidane transitioned to management nearly a decade after retiring as a player, taking charge of Real Madrid’s reserve side Real Madrid Castilla in 2014. He was promoted to first team manager in January 2016, and immediately delivered Champions League glory, defeating city rivals Atletico Madrid in a penalty shootout in the final. That victory was the first of three consecutive Champions League titles for Zidane and Madrid, making them the first club to win back-to-back Champions League titles in the modern era, and the first to claim three straight European crowns since Bayern Munich in 1976. He also won La Liga in the 2016-17 season before stepping down in 2018, citing a need for change at the Santiago Bernabéu.
He returned to Real Madrid in March 2019 to turn around a poor run of form, and claimed another La Liga title in the 2019-20 season, while overseeing a major transfer spending spree that included the signings of stars like Eden Hazard and Rodrygo. He departed for the second time at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, which ended without a major trophy, and has not managed at any level since. Speculation linking Zidane to the France national team manager job dates back to 2010, when France suffered a humiliating group stage exit at the World Cup; 16 years later, he has finally stepped into the role he has long been linked to.