Zinedine Zidane confirmed as France coach
France has finally made the long-awaited announcement that Zinedine Zidane will take over from Didier Deschamps as its coach.
Zidane has signed a four-year contract with Les Bleus, taking him through to the end of the 2030 World Cup. His deal will begin on 1 August.
He replaces Didier Deschamps, who stepped down after 14 years at the end of the 2026 World Cup, having decided not to renew his contract back in January 2025.
His reign ended with a fourth-place finish at the World Cup, having lost to eventual winner Spain in the semi-finals before suffering a 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place play-off.
Deschamps did lead France to World Cup glory in 2018, also losing the final in 2022, while France were also beaten finalists in Euro 2016.
It is Zidane who is tasked with picking up the mantle ahead of the start of Les Bleus' Nations League campaign in September.
Zidane has not coached since leaving Real Madrid for the second time back in 2021, managing Los Blancos for five years across both spells.
He led Madrid to three straight Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, as well as lifting two LaLiga titles, two Supercopa de Espanas, two UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups.
As a player, Zidane won the World Cup with France in 1998 – and finished as a runner-up in 2006 – and the Euros in 2000.
He made 108 appearances for his country, scoring 31 goals, including a brace in their 1998 World Cup final triumph, and a Panenka penalty in the 2006 showpiece before he was sent off for headbutting Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the chest in extra time.
Zidane's first game in charge will be against Turkiye in the Nations League on September 25, with matches against Belgium and Italy to follow after that in the extended international break.
