Zidane Takes Charge of France After Five-Year Wait
Zinedine Zidane has finally landed the France job he has wanted for years. The 54-year-old has been appointed head coach after Didier Deschamps ended his 14-year reign following France's fourth-place finish at the 2026 World Cup.
The French Football Federation confirmed Zidane's appointment on Tuesday, July 28. His four-year contract runs through the 2030 World Cup, with his reign beginning on August 1.
Zidane gets his dream job
Zidane's appointment marks his return to management five years after leaving Real Madrid. The former France captain revealed he rejected several club offers during that period because he wanted to coach Les Bleus. "I had offers to join a club and I refused them all for the France national team," Zidane said. "This job is the only job I wanted to do after my career with Real Madrid."
His desire for the role became clear after Deschamps announced in January 2025 that he would leave following the World Cup. Zidane met FFF president Philippe Diallo in February 2025, beginning discussions that eventually led to his appointment.
Zidane inherits a France side that scored 20 goals at the 2026 World Cup. They reached the semi-finals before losing 2-0 to eventual champions Spain, then suffered a 6-4 defeat against England in the third-place play-off.
Following a successful Deschamps era
Deschamps leaves after 185 matches and 120 victories during his 14-year tenure. He guided France to the 2018 World Cup, the 2021 Nations League title and two major tournament finals. France also finished runners-up at Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup. Zidane has acknowledged the success of his former international team-mate while promising to introduce his own ideas.
"We're going to do things differently," Zidane said. "It's not a clean break, either. I want to maintain continuity so that the French team keeps winning."
Zidane's managerial record provides plenty of evidence for those ambitions. He won three consecutive Champions League titles with Real Madrid between 2016 and 2018, becoming the first coach to achieve that feat in the Champions League era. He also won two La Liga titles, including the 2019-20 championship during his second spell at Madrid.
A new era begins
Zidane's biggest task will be managing a squad packed with established stars and emerging talent. Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Desire Doue give France considerable attacking quality.
The new coach has suggested that goals and attacking football will remain central to his philosophy. Zidane also indicated he could continue using Olise in a central role after the midfielder impressed as a No. 10 during the World Cup.
His first competitive fixture will come against Turkey away on September 25 in the Nations League. France will then face Belgium away on September 28 before hosting Italy on October 2.
What's next for Zidane?
The Nations League will provide Zidane's first test before France begin their Euro 2028 qualifying campaign next year. He has never managed a national team before, but his knowledge of the squad and international experience could ease the transition.
Zidane also arrives with enormous goodwill among French supporters. Now, after five years of waiting, the 1998 World Cup winner has the opportunity to create another historic chapter with Les Bleus.