France: Deschamps' successor to be known on Tuesday, July 28, Zidane the overwhelming favorite

With the Didier Deschamps chapter closed, another will begin on July 28: the French Football Federation (FFF) is preparing to announce on Tuesday his successor at the head of Les Bleus, with football legend Zinedine Zidane as the overwhelming favorite.

"The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, will hold a press conference this Tuesday, July 28, 2026, starting at 11:00 a.m. at the FFF headquarters. Following the extraordinary Executive Committee meeting that will be held that same morning, Philippe Diallo will present the next coach of the French national team to the media," the "3F" wrote in a statement.

Even though the press release does not mention Zidane's name, it is indeed the latter who is expected to be spoken about by Diallo, as his appointment seems to be an open secret.

Zinedine Zidane, 54, has been waiting for his moment at the helm of the French team for several years and is in pole position to succeed Didier Deschamps, whose term which began in 2012, and was marked by a world championship title (2018) and a final (2022), ended on Saturday in the United States with a fourth place at the 2026 World Cup.

Without a job since his second stint at Real Madrid (2019-2021), Zinedine Zidane has never hidden his ambition to one day guide Les Bleus, like his two illustrious former teammates in the national team, Laurent Blanc (2010-2012) and therefore Deschamps (2012-2026).

"I feel legitimate in the French team, where I played and spent almost twelve, thirteen or fourteen years as a player. Of course, it's a dream, I can't wait," he had declared, for example, as early as May 2025 on the sidelines of an event organized by his personal sponsor, the equipment manufacturer Adidas.

"French people's support"

Having coached only one club so far, Real Madrid which he managed twice (2016-2018 and 2019-2021), the former playmaker for Les Bleus, world champion in 1998 and European champion in 2000, notably guided the Merengues to a treble in the Champions League (2016, 2017, 2018), the most prestigious European club competition.

As early as March, Philippe Diallo had almost let the cat out of the bag – without directly naming Zidane – in the pages of Le Figaro. "Yes, I know his name," he had replied to a question about the identity of Deschamps' successor.

"There are not many profiles that can claim to lead one of the greatest national teams in the world. You need a profile that ticks many boxes and that can also be supported by the French, since this French football team is the team of the French," he added, the composite sketch he drew strongly evoking Zidane.

Already in 2018, his name had been mentioned for the first time as a possible successor to Didier Deschamps after the World Cup in Russia, a choice which would be "in line with history" acknowledged at the time by the head of the FFF Noël Le Graët.

The same thing happened again in 2022 before the World Cup in Qatar, before "DD's" contract was finally renewed until 2026.

After 14 successful years under Didier Deschamps, the French team and its new coach will begin a new era in September, with the Nations League, for a first match in Turkey on September 25.

AFP