Zinedine Zidane named as France head coach following World Cup 2026

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Ex-superstar player succeeds Didier Deschamps as France manager after the national team’s bitter semifinal exit in the United States.

Published On 28 Jul 2026

France great Zinedine Zidane’s long-held ambition to coach the national team became reality on Tuesday when the French Football Federation appointed the former captain and World Cup winner as Didier Deschamps’ successor on a four-year contract.

The ⁠appointment of former Real Madrid manager Zidane comes two weeks after Deschamps’ tenure as coach ended following France’s fourth-place finish at the World Cup. His final match in charge was a 6-4 defeat by England.

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“The French team was the only thing I wanted to do,” Zidane told reporters.

“I’ve always looked at this ⁠team through the eyes of a future manager. I didn’t take a club job for that reason. The only thing I wanted to do after Madrid was manage the French national team.

“I could have taken on a three-year role because Deschamps was there. He made that decision in January 2025, and the very next day I knew I wanted to be the next one. We met with the president and the deal was sealed,” he said.

Zidane, 54, is expected to begin his reign with an away UEFA Nations League game against Turkiye before France host Italy at the Stade de France on October 2.

Deschamps, who left after 14 years at the helm, oversaw 185 matches and 120 victories, guiding France to the 2018 World Cup title, the 2020-21 Nations League trophy and the Euro 2016 and 2022 World Cup finals.

Both share a long association, having been teammates in the 1998 World Cup-winning side at home in France.

Zidane played a pivotal role in that triumph and won the Ballon d’Or that year.