Official: Zinedine Zidane appointed manager of the French national team (Federation)

Zinedine Zidane has been appointed manager of the French national team to succeed Didier Deschamps, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced on Tuesday.

"Zinedine Zidane will be the coach of the French national team for the next four years," said FFF president Philippe Diallo from the Federation's headquarters alongside Zidane.

The former playmaker, a world champion in 1998 with Les Bleus, succeeds his former teammate Deschamps, coach since 2012, whose term ended with a 4th place at the 2026 World Cup after a title (2018) and a final (2022).

Zinedine Zidane, 54, had been without a job since 2021 and his second stint at Real Madrid.

"As early as February 2025, I met with Zinedine Zidane. I contacted him to offer him a mission at the head of our French team," said Mr. Diallo.

The No. 10 with 108 caps for the French national team has only coached at Real Madrid, where he finished his playing career, and which he managed twice (2016-2018 and 2019-2021).

World champion in 1998 and European champion in 2000, Zizou notably guided the Merengues to a treble in the Champions League (2016, 2017, 2018), the most prestigious European club competition, an unprecedented feat for a coach.

His arrival at the head of the French team had been expected for a long time, after having been mentioned several times in recent years, notably in 2018 and 2022 before Deschamps was renewed.

The first gathering of Les Bleus under Zidane's leadership will take place in September, before the Nations League, with the first match in Türkiye on September 25.