Zinedine Zidane has officially been named head coach of the France national football team after ending months of speculation about his return to management.
The 54-year-old World Cup and European Championship winner takes over from Didier Deschamps stepped down after 14 years in charge following France's fourth-place finish at the 2026 World Cup. Zidane considered France's greatest-ever player will lead the team through 2030 World Cup qualifying with his first match a Nations League trip to Turkey on September 25.
"There's nothing greater than the French national team. So it's a joy and a great source of pride to become the manager" Zidane said after his appointment, thanking the French Football Federation and acknowledging Deschamps' long service.
Federation president Philippe Diallo called Zidane a "legend" whose appointment marks a historic moment for the national team with describing the current squad as one of "rare potential."
Zidane previously managed Real Madrid in two spells of winning three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018 a feat unmatched in the modern era along with two LaLiga titles. He stepped away from Real Madrid in 2021 and has not coached since.
Analysts note Zidane's man-management style which earned him strong player relationships at Real Madrid could suit the international game well. Stars like Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise grew up admiring him and the squad is reportedly excited to work under him. Tactically, he is expected to shift from Deschamps' 4-2-3-1 to his preferred 4-3-3 formation by building around key players such as William Saliba, Ousmane Dembélé, Olise and Mbappé.
Zidane is also expected to bring in a larger, more elite coaching staff with long-time aide David Bettoni as assistant coach along with former Real Madrid colleagues Hamidou Msaidie and Gregory Dupont. Former France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez is likely to join as goalkeeping coach.
Since leaving football management, Zidane has largely stayed out of the spotlight of spending time with family and pursuing padel, a racket sport growing in popularity worldwide. His company Z5, already operates three padel clubs in France and Italy with reported plans to expand further.
Though occasionally linked to prominent coaching vacancies, Zidane had shown interest only in returning to Real Madrid or taking charge of France making this appointment the fulfillment of his long-anticipated return to the dugout.
