The French Football Federation officially announced when it will reveal Didier Deschamps' successor, and while it has not yet confirmed their identity, all indications suggest that the historic former Real Madrid coach will take on the role
The French National Team is about to begin a new chapter. This Thursday, the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed that next Tuesday, July 28, it will officially present Didier Deschamps' successor, who left the position after the 2026 World Cup, and all eyes are on Zinedine Zidane as the chosen one.
The announcement will be made by the president of the FFF, Philippe Diallo, during a press conference at the federation's headquarters in Paris, once the Executive Committee meeting has concluded. Additionally, the presentation will be streamed live on the federation's official YouTube channel.
Although the organization has avoided revealing the identity of the new coach, various French media outlets agree that Zidane will take on the challenge of leading Les Bleus after being away from coaching for five years. His last experience was at Real Madrid, where he built one of the most successful periods in the club's history by winning, among other titles, three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018.
Zidane won three consecutive Champions League titles with Real Madrid
If his arrival is confirmed, the former midfielder will take the place of Deschamps, who closed a 14-year cycle at the helm of the national team. During that period, France won the 2018 World Cup and the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League, in addition to reaching the finals of the 2022 World Cup and the Euro 2016 and 2024. His farewell, which had already been agreed upon, occurred after the 2026 World Cup, where the team was eliminated by Spain in the semifinals and finished fourth after losing6-4 to England in the third-place match.
The possible appointment of Zidane also represents the return of one of the greatest idols of French football. As a player, he played 108 matches for the national team, scored 31 goals, and was one of the stars of the 1998 World Cup victory, where he scored a brace against Brazil in the final and the 2000 European Championship.
Zidane was World Champion with France in 1998
If his appointment is confirmed, Zidane will have little time to prepare for his debut, as France will compete again in September for the UEFA Nations League, with matches against Turkey, Belgium, and Italy.
Zidane's Numbers as Coach
In his two terms as head coach of Real Madrid (from early 2016 to mid-2018 and from early 2019 to mid-2021), Zizou managed 263 matches, with a record of 174 wins, 53 draws, and 36 losses, with a total of 605 goals scored and 267 conceded. In terms of titles, the Frenchman won 11: 3 Champions League (2015/16, 2016/2017, and 2017/2018), 2 La Liga titles (2016/17 and 2019/20), 2 Club World Cups (2016 and 2017), 2 UEFA Super Cups (2016 and 2017), and 2 Spanish Super Cups (2017 and 2020).
