The French Football Federation officially announced the appointment of legendary footballer and coach Zinedine Zidane as the head coach of the national team.
It was reported that a four-year contract was signed with the 54-year-old specialist, valid until the end of the 2030 World Cup.
Zidane replaced Didier Deschamps, who left the national team after the 2026 World Cup. Deschamps had been coaching France since 2012, and under his leadership the team won the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 UEFA Nations League. Additionally, the French reached the finals of Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup.
In the 2026 World Cup, France lost to Spain 0:2 in the semi-finals. In the third-place match, they lost to England 4:6 and finished the tournament in fourth place.
For reference, Zinedine Zidane had not worked for any team since leaving the head coach position of Real Madrid in May 2021. He managed the "Royal Club" from 2016–2018 and 2019–2021, winning the UEFA Champions League three times, the Spanish championship twice, the UEFA Super Cup twice, the Spanish Super Cup twice, and the FIFA Club World Cup twice.
