Zidane named France head coach after World Cup
Shafaq News- Paris
France appointed Zinedine Zidane as head coach of its men's national soccer team on Tuesday, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced.
A 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 takes charge of France 🏆💙 pic.twitter.com/pn4XhJVtB4
— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) July 28, 2026
Zidane, 54, was given a four-year contract and succeeds Didier Deschamps, whose 14-year tenure ended after France's fourth-place finish at the 2026 World Cup. He returns to management for the first time since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, the club where he won three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles.
Zidane's first match in charge will be away to Turkiye in the UEFA Nations League, on September 25, followed by a fixture in Belgium three days later. France then host Italy at the Stade de France, the national stadium near Paris, on October 2.
Zidane signaled that his side would play differently from Deschamps' teams. "What motivates me is the game, I was a No. 10, I like goals," he said.
Deschamps leaves as one of the most successful coaches in French history. Over 14 years, he oversaw 185 matches and 120 wins, guiding France to the 2018 World Cup title, the 2020-21 Nations League trophy, and the finals of Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup. Zidane, part of the France team that won the 1998 World Cup as a player, takes over a squad he has said he long wanted to lead.
