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Zinédine Zidane appointed France head coach, succeeding Didier Deschamps

The French Football Federation named Zinédine Zidane national team coach on 28 July 2026, ending Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure.

13 Nov 2026, 04:591 min read

This summary was written by AI to complete the context; it is not based on a current source.

The French Football Federation (FFF) announced on 28 July 2026 that Zinédine Zidane would become head coach of the France national team. He succeeded Didier Deschamps, who left after 14 years in charge.

Deschamps' departure followed the 2026 World Cup, where France lost to Spain in the semi-finals and finished fourth. His tenure included the 2018 World Cup win and the final of the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Zidane signed a four-year contract, running through the 2030 World Cup. He captained and starred for France in the 1998 World Cup win and the Euro 2000 triumph, and later won three consecutive Champions League titles as Real Madrid coach. He had not coached since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, and the job had long been seen as his ambition.

The appointment mattered because it ended a long period of stability and handed the team to one of the country's most celebrated figures. He was due to take charge from September, with his first matches coming in the Nations League.