France appointed Zinedine Zidane as head coach on Tuesday, handing the former captain a four-year contract that runs through the 2030 FIFA World Cup, according to France’s Football Federation (FFF).
Zidane succeeds Didier Deschamps, whose 14-year tenure ended earlier this month after France finished fourth at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, capped by a 6-4 defeat to England in his final match.
Deschamps was one of France’s most successful coaches, having guided the team to the 2018 World Cup title, the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League trophy, and runner-up finishes at Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup. He won 120 of his 185 matches.
The 54-year-old Zidane, who captained France to its first World Cup title in 1998, said he had decided to pursue the national team job after Deschamps announced in January 2025 that he would step down following the World Cup.
“The French team was the only thing I wanted to do,” Zidane told reporters. “I didn’t take a club job because I wanted to manage the French national team.”
As a player, Zidane made 108 appearances for France, scoring 31 goals and providing 29 assists. He was instrumental in France’s 1998 World Cup triumph and won the Ballon d’Or that same year.
After retiring as a player, Zidane began his coaching career at Real Madrid, serving as assistant coach before taking over the first team in 2016. During his first term, he led the Spanish club to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018. He returned for a second stint in 2019, winning another La Liga title before leaving in 2021.
Zidane becomes the third member of France’s 1998 World Cup-winning squad to coach the national team, following Laurent Blanc and Deschamps. He said he intends to build on the team’s recent success while bringing his own approach.
He is expected to begin his tenure with an away UEFA Nations League match against Türkiye before France plays Italy at the Stade de France on October 2.
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