Zinedine Zidane appointed head coach of French national team

French Football Federation (FFF) president Philippe Diallo announced on Tuesday that football legend Zinedine Zidane will replace Didier Deschamps as France's new head coach. Zidane, 54, has long been considered the leading candidate for the position and has been waiting for the opportunity to lead the national team for several years. He has not coached since leaving Real Madrid in 2021.

During his tenure with the Spanish giants, the former midfielder led them to three consecutive Champions League titles in 2016, 2017, and 2018—an unprecedented achievement in the modern era of the competition.

Deschamps had coached France since 2012 and stepped down after the 2026 World Cup, where Les Bleus lost in the semifinals to Spain. Under Deschamps, France won the World Cup in 2018 and lost the final on penalties in 2022. They also lost the European Championship final on home soil in 2016.

Zidane follows in the footsteps of former international teammates Laurent Blanc, who coached the national side from 2010 to 2012, and Deschamps. He was France's playmaker when they won the 1998 World Cup, scoring twice in the final in a 3-0 win against Brazil, and starred two years later when France won the European Championship. Zidane won the Ballon d'Or in 1998.

He played 108 games for France, scoring 31 goals, including a Panenka-style penalty in the 2006 World Cup final, which Les Bleus lost after he was sent off in extra time for headbutting Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the chest.

France's next match is away to Turkey in the Nations League on September 25, followed by a game in Belgium three days later. France then hosts Italy at the Stade de France on October 2.