France legend Zinedine Zidane will take over as national team head coach, the French Football Federation announced Tuesday.
The appointment comes two weeks after Didier Deschamps’ tenure as coach ended following France’s fourth-place finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. His final match in charge ended in a 6-4 defeat to England.
Zidane, 54, is expected to begin his reign with an away UEFA Nations League game against Turkiye before France host Italy at the Stade de France on October 2.
Deschamps left after 14 years at the helm, during which he oversaw 185 matches and 120 victories. He guided France to the 2018 World Cup title, the 2020-21 Nations League trophy and the Euro 2016 and 2022 World Cup finals.
Zidane and Deschamps share a long association, having been teammates in the 1998 World Cup-winning side on home soil in France.
Zidane played a pivotal role in that triumph and won the Ballon d’Or that year.
