Phoenix 24
A national icon prepares for football’s most anticipated succession.
Paris | July 2026
Zinedine Zidane is expected to become the next head coach of the French national team, ending years of speculation surrounding one of the most anticipated appointments in international football. Euronews reported that the 1998 World Cup winner is preparing to replace Didier Deschamps after the conclusion of France’s 2026 World Cup campaign.
The French Football Federation has not yet formally announced the appointment. Its president, Philippe Diallo, has promised to reveal Deschamps’ successor before the end of July, maintaining a measure of institutional caution while French media increasingly present Zidane as the chosen candidate.
According to information attributed to the French sports press, Zidane would officially assume control on September 1. The timing would allow the federation to complete contractual and administrative procedures before France begins its next competitive cycle.
Zidane is reportedly already assembling his technical staff behind the scenes. David Bettoni, his longstanding assistant during his coaching career at Real Madrid, is expected to play an important role in the new structure.
The former France captain has maintained a discreet public position throughout the succession process. Few details have emerged regarding the specialists who could join his staff, reflecting an effort to avoid distracting from Deschamps’ final tournament and the federation’s formal decision-making process.
The transition follows France’s fourth-place finish at the 2026 World Cup. The team lost 2-0 to Spain in the semifinal before falling 6-4 against England in an extraordinary third-place playoff that marked the end of Deschamps’ 14-year tenure.
Deschamps had already confirmed that he would leave after the tournament. His final match brought an emotional conclusion to one of the longest and most successful managerial periods in the history of international football.
Appointed in 2012, Deschamps directed France in 185 matches and restored the national team as a consistent global power. He guided the country to the 2018 World Cup title, the 2020-2021 Nations League trophy, the Euro 2016 final and another World Cup final in 2022.
His achievements extended a unique relationship with French football. Deschamps captained France to its first World Cup championship in 1998 before later winning the tournament as coach, placing him among the small group of figures who have lifted the trophy in both roles.
Zidane shared the field with Deschamps during the 1998 triumph. His two headed goals against Brazil in the final became defining images of French sporting history and transformed him into a national symbol whose influence extended far beyond football.
The possible succession therefore carries unusual historical continuity. Two central figures from France’s first world championship would have led the national team across consecutive eras, first as players and later from the technical area.
Zidane’s coaching credentials are based primarily on his success with Real Madrid. Between 2016 and 2018, he led the Spanish club to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles, an achievement unmatched in the modern format of the competition.
His Real Madrid teams also won domestic and international trophies while managing a dressing room filled with established global stars. Zidane developed a reputation for maintaining authority without excessive public confrontation and for adapting his tactical structure to decisive European matches.
Critics have occasionally questioned whether his success depended on the exceptional quality of the squad he inherited. Supporters counter that managing elite players requires its own form of leadership, particularly when expectations, personalities and competitive pressure are unusually intense.
The French national team presents a similar challenge. Zidane would inherit a squad containing Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and several younger players already established at major European clubs.
His task would not simply involve selecting talented individuals. He would need to define a collective identity capable of combining attacking freedom with the tactical balance that allowed France to remain competitive throughout the Deschamps era.
The relationship with Mbappé will receive particular attention. Zidane has long been admired by the French captain, while both figures share a powerful connection with Real Madrid and the broader symbolism of French football excellence.
The coach would also face the challenge of managing the expectations surrounding a squad considered capable of winning every major tournament. France’s depth creates options, but it also produces difficult decisions concerning hierarchy, playing time and tactical roles.
Zidane’s first match is expected to be an away fixture against Turkey in the Nations League. France would then face Italy at the Stade de France on October 2, offering an early examination of the new coach’s tactical choices and leadership style.
The Nations League would provide an immediate competitive environment, but the first major tournament of the expected Zidane era would be Euro 2028. That timeline gives the new staff an opportunity to renew the squad gradually while preserving the experienced core inherited from Deschamps.
Administrative questions may still influence the appointment. French regulations concerning federation governance and executive remuneration have created uncertainty over the salary framework available for the national-team coach.
Any remaining legal or financial conditions will need to be resolved before the federation can formalize the agreement. Those considerations explain why media confidence surrounding Zidane’s arrival has moved faster than the official announcement.
The appointment would also mark Zidane’s return to coaching after several years away from the technical area. Since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, he has resisted opportunities that did not correspond with his professional priorities.
The France position has long appeared to be his preferred destination. Zidane has repeatedly expressed the importance of the national team in his life without directly campaigning for the role while Deschamps remained in charge.
That restraint helped preserve respect between two former teammates whose careers have remained deeply connected to the country’s greatest football achievements.
Deschamps leaves behind a structure defined by consistency, discipline and tournament experience. Zidane would not need to rebuild French football from the beginning, but he would be expected to introduce a new emotional and tactical direction.
His arrival would represent both continuity and transformation. The federation would be replacing one world champion with another, while moving from Deschamps’ pragmatic authority toward the distinctive presence of one of the most technically gifted players France has ever produced.
The formal announcement remains pending, but the succession increasingly appears to be entering its final stage. Zidane has already conquered the world in the French shirt and dominated Europe from the Real Madrid bench.
His next challenge may be to unite those two legacies and lead France toward a new championship era.
Phoenix24 | A legend returns when history demands another chapter. Una leyenda regresa cuando la historia exige otro capítulo.