Zinedine Zidane is the new France head coach. The French Football Federation confirmed it on July 28, ending years of speculation and a long, patient wait from Zidane himself.
The appointment comes two weeks after Didier Deschamps left the role following France's fourth-place finish at the 2026 World Cup — a tournament that ended with a 6-4 hammering by England in the play-off. That scoreline tells you everything about the state Zidane is inheriting. This isn't a squad humming along that just needs a new voice. It's a team that got torn apart by their oldest rivals in a knockout match.
The end of the Deschamps era
Deschamps spent 14 years in the job — taking charge in 2012 and delivering a World Cup in 2018. By any measure, that tenure earns its place in French football history. But the final chapter wasn't kind. A 6-4 defeat isn't a narrow exit. It's a statement about where this squad is right now.
Zidane, 54, has been the name attached to this job for years. He watched Deschamps hold on through Euro cycles and World Cups, waiting. Now he finally has it.
What Zidane is walking into
His managerial CV is Real Madrid — three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, then a second stint that didn't reach the same heights. He's been without a club since 2021. Four years is a long time out of the dugout at any level, let alone international football where the margin for error is thin and the timeline is fixed.
France's next major target is Euro 2028. That gives Zidane roughly two years to reassess the squad, establish an identity, and figure out what this generation can actually produce. The odds on France as tournament favourites will need recalibrating — the 6-4 loss to England wasn't just a result, it was a signal. Rebuilding the defensive structure alone will take time.
He's wanted this job for a long time. Now he has to show he can do it.
