France legend, Zinedine Zidane, has realised his long-standing ambition of managing the national team after being named head coach by the French Football Federation on Tuesday.
The former Real Madrid boss has signed a four-year contract to replace Didier Deschamps, whose 14-year spell in charge ended earlier this month following France’s fourth-place finish at the World Cup. His final game at the helm ended in a 6-4 defeat to England.
Speaking after his unveiling, Zidane made it clear that coaching France had always been his ultimate objective.
“The French team was the only thing I wanted to do,” Zidane told reporters.
“I’ve always looked at this team through the eyes of a future manager. I didn’t take a club job for that reason. The only thing I wanted to do after Madrid was manage the French national team.
“I could have taken on a three-year role because Deschamps was there. He made that decision in January 2025, and the very next day I knew I wanted to be the next one. We met with the president and the deal was sealed,” he said.
The 54-year-old is set to begin his tenure with an away UEFA Nations League fixture against Turkiye before taking charge of his first home match against Italy at the Stade de France on October 2.
Deschamps leaves behind an outstanding legacy after overseeing 185 matches and recording 120 victories.
During his tenure, he guided France to the 2018 FIFA World Cup title, lifted the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League trophy, and reached the finals of Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup.
Zidane and Deschamps share a rich history, having played together in France’s triumphant 1998 World Cup-winning squad on home soil.
Zidane was one of the stars of that historic campaign and went on to win the Ballon d’Or later that year.
Across an illustrious international career, Zidane earned 108 caps, scored 31 goals for France, and remains one of the country’s greatest football icons.
