Zinedine Zidane appointed new France head coach
Collected Photo
Putting an end to all speculation, legendary football figure Zinedine Zidane has been appointed as the new head coach of the France national football team. The former Real Madrid manager will now take charge of his country’s national side. The announcement was officially made by the French Football Federation (FFF).
France were eliminated from the recently concluded 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing to Spain in the semifinals. As previously announced, Didier Deschamps stepped down as France head coach after the World Cup, bringing an end to his remarkable 14 year tenure. Following Deschamps’ departure, Zidane’s name had been widely mentioned as the leading candidate for the position. The official announcement has now been made.
Zidane, 54, who won the 1998 FIFA World Cup with France and is regarded as one of the country’s greatest footballers of all time, had two spells as Real Madrid head coach. He had been away from coaching since leaving the Spanish club in 2021. In his new role, he will remain in charge of France through the 2030 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Expressing his feelings after taking over as France head coach, Zidane said, “I have said many times that there is nothing bigger than the France national team. So becoming the coach of this French team is a tremendous joy and a great honor for me. At the same time, it is a very big responsibility.”
He added, “I would like to thank French Football Federation President Philippe Diallo and the members of the executive committee for the trust they have placed in me. At the same time, I would like to thank Deschamps and his coaching staff for serving the team over the past 14 years.”
It is worth noting that under Didier Deschamps, France reached the finals of three major tournaments during his 14 year tenure. The French won their second FIFA World Cup title under his leadership in 2018. They finished as runners up at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. After France finished fourth at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Zidane will now begin a new chapter with the team. His debut is set to come against Türkiye in the UEFA Nations League on September 25.
