French football legend Zinedine Zidane is reportedly set to take over as the country’s men’s team head coach after the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Current France head coach Didier Deschamps will step down after the FIFA World Cup later this year, ending a 14-year stint with the national team.
An official announcement on the new appointment, however, is yet to be made.
FFF President hints at Zinedine Zidane appointment
French Football Federation (FFF) president Philippe Diallo has hinted that a successor to Deschamps has already been identified.
“Yes, I know his name,” Diallo told a French newspaper, Le Figaro.
“I invite you to come after the World Cup,” he said when asked whether Zidane would take over.
“The France team is one of the best in the world and cannot be left to just anyone. It must be someone with many qualities and with the backing of the French,” he added.
Diallo also said he has received fewer than five applications from French coaches.
Reports in France suggest negotiations with Zinedine Zidane are progressing. The former midfielder is also believed to be seeking an expanded backroom staff, led by David Bettoni.
Zidane was part of the France squads that won the FIFA World Cup 1998 and UEFA Euro 2000.
He previously managed Real Madrid across two spells, from January 2016 to May 2018, and again from March 2019 to May 2021, with Bettoni serving as his assistant.
France’s upcoming FIFA World Cup campaign
France, which last won the World Cup in 2018, is in Group I for the 2026 edition, alongside Senegal and Norway. A team from Inter-Confederation Playoff Path B (Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname) will complete the group.
Les Bleus are scheduled to play friendlies against Brazil (27 March), Colombia (30 March) and the Ivory Coast (5 June), before opening their World Cup campaign against Senegal on 16 June in New York.
The 2026 tournament will be the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32, divided into 12 groups of four. It will be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico, starting 11 June.
