Will Zinedine Zidane Coach France? The Latest on Didier Deschamps’ Successor

The long-anticipated prospect of Zinedine Zidane becoming France head coach is now approaching its final stage.

Didier Deschamps has completed his 14-year tenure, France’s 2026 World Cup campaign is over, and the French Football Federation has scheduled a press conference to introduce the new national-team coach.

As of July 24, 2026, the FFF has not officially named Zidane in its announcement. It has, however, confirmed that federation president Philippe Diallo will present the next France coach on Tuesday, July 28 at 11:00 a.m. in Paris, which is 12:00 noon in Saudi Arabia.

Major French reports say the man being presented will be Zidane. Unless an extraordinary late change takes place, the remaining steps appear to be formal approval and public confirmation rather than a competitive search for alternative candidates. Has the French Federation Officially Confirmed?

The FFF’s July 23 statement was carefully worded. It announced that Diallo would introduce the next head coach after an extraordinary meeting of the federation’s Executive Committee on the morning of July 28.

It did not include Zidane’s name, contract length or proposed staff.

That distinction matters. Zidane is not technically France’s officially appointed coach until the federation completes its process and announces the decision. Nevertheless, scheduling a presentation means the FFF has moved beyond the exploratory phase.

French newspaper Le Parisien reported that Zidane will appear alongside Diallo, speak publicly about his project and begin a four-year cycle that would include UEFA Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup.

The four-year agreement and staff details remain media reports until they are confirmed by the federation.

Why Is Zidane Considered the Certain Favourite?

Zidane has been linked with the France job for years, but the story became far more concrete in March 2026.

Reuters carried a report, originally attributed to ESPN sources, stating that Zidane had reached a verbal agreement with the French federation to replace Deschamps after the World Cup. He had been out of management since leaving Real Madrid in May 2021 and had not committed to another club.

There was no decisive denial from the federation. As the tournament approached its conclusion, the conversation increasingly focused on when Zidane would be announced rather than whether another candidate might beat him to the position. ance’s 2-0 World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain, Reuters described a Zidane era as the likely next chapter for a squad still filled with elite individual talent.

The FFF’s presentation announcement, followed by detailed reports in the French media, has now made his appointment appear all but inevitable.

Deschamps Leaves Behind a Major Legacy

Zidane will not be replacing an unsuccessful or short-term coach. He will be following the longest-serving manager in the history of the French national team.

Deschamps took charge in July 2012 and managed his 185th and final match on July 18, 2026, when France faced England in the World Cup third-place playoff.

According to the FFF’s official review of his tenure, Deschamps recorded 120 victories, 35 draws and 30 defeats. He led France at seven major tournaments: four World Cups and three European Championships.

His team reached the Euro 2016 final, won the 2018 World Cup and returned to the World Cup final in Qatar four years later. France also won the UEFA Nations League during his reign.

Deschamps became one of only three men to win the World Cup as both a player and a coach, having captained France in 1998 before leading the country to its second title in 2018. l chapter was less successful. France lost to Spain in the 2026 semi-finals and then suffered a 6-4 defeat against England in the third-place match.

Why Did Deschamps Decide to Leave?

Deschamps’ departure was not an immediate response to France’s World Cup elimination. It had already been established that he would leave when his contract expired after the tournament.

Following his final match, however, he spoke more openly about the pressure surrounding his position. Deschamps said the atmosphere around him had become “stifling” and argued that ending the cycle was in the national team’s interests.

He had increasingly been criticised for prioritising structure, balance and efficiency over expressive attacking football. Those criticisms grew because France possessed a squad containing a remarkable number of technically gifted forwards and midfielders.

His results protected him for a long time, and his legacy remains exceptional. Yet the constant debate over France’s style made a reset increasingly necessary. epresents that reset without being an outsider. He understands French football, has shared a dressing room with Deschamps and carries enormous authority as both a former international star and an elite-level coach.

What Contract Could Zidane Sign?

Le Parisien has reported that Zidane is expected to agree to a four-year contract running through the 2030 World Cup.

The FFF has not yet confirmed the length or financial terms of the agreement, so those details should not be treated as official before the presentation.

A four-year cycle would offer a logical sporting structure. Zidane would begin with the 2026-27 Nations League, prepare France for Euro 2028 and then take the team into the 2030 World Cup.

He will not need to conduct a complete rebuild. France still possess one of international football’s deepest talent pools, led by Kylian Mbappé and supported by several players young enough to remain central to the team for the full cycle.

The challenge will be to turn that depth into a clear hierarchy and a consistent collective identity.

Who Could Join Zidane’s France Staff?

The composition of Zidane’s coaching team is expected to be one of the main subjects at his introductory press conference.

French reports suggest that David Bettoni, one of his closest collaborators at Real Madrid, will join the national-team staff. Bettoni played an important role in Zidane’s previous coaching structure and is trusted for his tactical and organisational work.

Hamidou Msaidie has also been linked with the staff, while Stéphane Planque is reportedly being considered for the scouting department. Gregory Dupont could take responsibility for physical preparation, with Hervé Collado connected to changes in the medical structure.

None of those appointments had been formally announced by July 24.

The reported choices indicate that Zidane intends to arrive with a familiar core rather than simply inherit the previous staff. At the same time, he will need to work with the federation’s existing performance departments and the infrastructure at Clairefontaine.

Does Zidane Have the Right Experience for International Football?

Zidane has never managed a national team, and all of his senior coaching experience came at Real Madrid. International football will therefore require some adjustment.

He will have fewer training sessions, no transfer market and limited time to introduce tactical changes. Selecting the right players and communicating clear instructions will matter more than building complex patterns through daily club training.

However, Zidane’s record at Real Madrid provides strong evidence that he can manage the level of expectation attached to France.

Across two spells in charge, he won 11 trophies, including two LaLiga titles and three consecutive Champions League crowns. UEFA records show that he became the first coach to win three straight European Cups in the Champions League era. managed a dressing room containing some of the biggest players in the sport. That experience will be valuable when handling selection disputes, media pressure and the status of established French internationals.

His time away from management remains a legitimate question. Five years without leading a team is a long break, even for a coach with his record. His first months will show how quickly he can adapt his ideas to changes in modern football and to the specific rhythm of the international game.

How Might France Play Under Zidane?

It would be misleading to assume that Zidane will automatically turn France into an all-out attacking team.

At Real Madrid, he was tactically flexible rather than ideologically rigid. He frequently used a 4-3-3 but was comfortable switching to a midfield diamond, a 4-4-2 shape or more pragmatic structures depending on the opponent.

His strongest Madrid teams combined technical control with experience, defensive discipline and the ability to manage decisive moments. That suggests he may preserve some of the balance associated with Deschamps while trying to improve France’s use of possession.

One of his first major decisions will involve Mbappé’s role. Zidane must determine whether France’s captain is most effective starting from the left, playing centrally or moving between both positions.

He will also need to build a midfield capable of controlling matches rather than relying primarily on athleticism and transitions. France have powerful ball carriers and excellent defensive midfielders, but their connection between midfield and attack has not always matched their individual quality.

A realistic objective would be to make France more proactive without sacrificing the structure that helped them remain competitive for so many years.

Zidane’s Biggest Challenges

Following a World Cup-winning coach

Every major decision will be compared with the Deschamps era. Zidane will inherit a higher standard than simply qualifying for tournaments and reaching the knockout rounds.

France expect to challenge for every title. A semi-final may be considered a successful campaign for many national teams, but it will not automatically protect Zidane from criticism.

Restoring momentum after the 2026 World Cup

France reached the last four, yet their campaign ended with two damaging defeats. Losing 2-0 to Spain and then conceding six goals against England exposed tactical and psychological issues.

Zidane must refresh the squad without treating an otherwise competitive team as a failed project.

Managing an overloaded talent pool

France’s depth creates difficult decisions. Several high-level players will be left out of squads or placed on the bench.

Zidane’s reputation may earn immediate respect, but long-term authority will depend on consistent selection standards and a willingness to make unpopular calls.

Building toward Euro 2028

Euro 2028 will be the first major measurement of the new project. Zidane will have the Nations League and several international windows to shape his squad before that tournament.

The federation will expect development during that period, not merely experimentation without a clear direction.

When Will France’s New Coach Take Charge of His First Match?

France begin their 2026-27 Nations League campaign away to Türkiye on September 25, 2026.

They then visit Belgium on September 28 before hosting Italy on October 2 and Belgium on October 5. The final two league-phase matches are away to Italy on November 12 and at home to Türkiye on November 15. es the new coach less than two months between his presentation and his first competitive fixture.

Zidane will have time to monitor the opening weeks of the European club season, but his first squad will immediately reveal important decisions about the direction of the team.

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So, Will Zidane Become France Coach?

Based on the information available on July 24, the answer is overwhelmingly likely to be yes.

The French federation has confirmed that the new coach will be presented on July 28. Leading French reports say that coach is Zidane, while earlier reports indicated that a verbal agreement had already been reached before the World Cup.

The appointment is not formally complete until the FFF announces it, but only an unexpected last-minute development would now prevent Zidane from succeeding Deschamps.

Winning the job, however, will be the easy part.

Zidane is preparing to inherit a squad with extraordinary ability, a public expecting more attractive football and a federation accustomed to competing for trophies. He must introduce fresh ideas without discarding the competitive foundations built under Deschamps.

The July 28 press conference should clarify his contract, staff and initial vision. The more meaningful answers will come later: in his first squad, his use of Mbappé, his response to difficult selection decisions and the style France display when the new era begins in September.