Zinedine Zidane takes charge of France after Deschamps exit
What’s next: Zidane’s first competitive match is a Nations League trip to Turkey on Sept. 25.
Zinedine Zidane will coach France’s national team after Didier Deschamps ended a 14-year run following Les Bleus’ World Cup semifinal loss to Spain. The French Football Federation confirmed Zidane on Tuesday, handing the 1998 World Cup winner his first national-team job after five years out of management.
Zidane, 54, has not coached since leaving Real Madrid in 2021 after two spells that brought three straight Champions League titles and two La Liga crowns. FFF president Philippe Diallo said talks with Zidane began in February 2025. Zidane said he had turned down club offers because managing France was “the only thing I wanted.” His deal will run through the 2030 World Cup qualifying cycle.