As a player, Zidane was renowned for his elegance, vision, and ball control. Among his individual accolades, he received the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1998, 2000, and 2003, and the Ballon d’Or in 1998. Credit: power axle CC BY 2.0
Zinedine Zidane has waited years for the opportunity he describes as the biggest challenge in football. On Tuesday, 28 July, the French Football Federation appointed the former World Cup winner as head coach of France on a contract running through the 2030 FIFA World Cup, completing a succession plan that had been anticipated for several seasons. Zidane replaces Didier Deschamps after France’s 2026 World Cup campaign ended with a semifinal defeat to Spain and a 6-4 loss to England in the third-place match. His first assignment comes quickly, with UEFA Nations League away fixtures against Turkey on Sept. 25 and Belgium three days later before France hosts Italy and Belgium in early October.
“I’ve waited five years for this chance,” Zidane said during his presentation in Paris. “The France team makes you dream.” Thanking federation president Philippe Diallo and the executive committee, he added: “There’s nothing greater than the French national team.”
A planned transition after World Cup
Deschamps had already announced before the World Cup that he would leave after the tournament, allowing federation officials to prepare one of the most closely watched coaching changes in international football.
Appointed in 2012, Deschamps rebuilt France after a difficult period and guided the national team to the 2018 World Cup title, the Euro 2016 final, the 2022 World Cup final and another semifinal appearance in 2026.
Diallo later revealed that he met privately with Zidane before finalizing the agreement, ending years of speculation linking the former midfielder to the national team.
Returning to the team that made him a legend
Few players have shaped French football like Zidane. His two goals in the 1998 World Cup final against Brazil delivered France’s first world title, and he followed that success by helping Les Bleus win UEFA Euro 2000. He returned to another World Cup final in 2006 before his international career ended after he was sent off during extra time against Italy.
Nearly two decades later, Zidane returns to the national team in a different role. During his first news conference, he avoided discussing tactics or squad selections, choosing instead to emphasize the responsibility of leading France and his desire to begin working with the players before concluding the team’s future.
Club success made him the obvious candidate
Though he has yet to take charge of a national side, Zidane’s defining achievements at Real Madrid firmly established him as one of his generation’s paramount coaches.
After taking over midway through the 2015-16 season, he led Madrid to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles, becoming the first coach to achieve that feat in the competition’s modern era. His teams also won two LaLiga championships, two FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups and two Spanish Super Cups across two spells in charge.
Although several European clubs approached him after leaving Madrid in 2021, Zidane consistently declined those offers, reinforcing the belief that he intended to wait for the France position.
Teams coached by Zinedine Zidane
- Real Madrid Castilla (2014–2016): Began his senior coaching career with the club’s reserve team.
- Real Madrid (2016–2018): Three UEFA Champions League titles, one LaLiga title, two FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups and one Spanish Super Cup.
- Real Madrid (2019–2021): One LaLiga title and one Spanish Super Cup.
A squad built to compete again
France remains one of the deepest squads in international football despite falling short at the World Cup. Captain Kylian Mbappé leads a group that includes Mike Maignan, William Saliba, Jules Koundé, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga and Désiré Doué, giving Zidane an experienced core alongside several younger players who have emerged in Europe’s leading leagues.
His task will be to turn that talent into another title. The federation expects him to guide France through the Nations League, Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup, extending a cycle that has kept Les Bleus among the world’s leading national teams for more than a decade.
The first evidence of Zidane’s approach will come in September. After years of speculation, one of football’s most anticipated appointments now moves from expectation to competition.