Paris – In a move that has sent ripples through the world of football, Zinedine Zidane was announced as the new head coach of the French national team, taking over from Didier Deschamps.
A Legend Takes the Helm
Zidane, a figure who defined an era as a player, brings a World Cup‑winning pedigree and a clear ambition to steer Les Bleus back to the summit.
His playing résumé reads like a who’s who of modern French football: 108 appearances for Les Bleus, 31 goals, 29 assists, a Ballon d’Or in 1998, and the decisive role in the nation’s inaugural World Cup triumph that year.
Transitioning to the dugout, Zidane enjoyed an unprecedented spell at Real Madrid, guiding the club to three straight Champions League crowns and cementing his reputation as a tactical innovator with a winning mentality.
His first test will be an away Nations League fixture against Turkey, followed by a home clash with Italy at the Stade de France on October 2, a match that will set the tone for his early reign.
Deschamps, who presided over 185 matches, 120 victories and titles at the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup final, leaves behind a formidable legacy that Zidane hopes to build upon.
The appointment also marks the third member of France’s 1998 World Cup‑winning squad — after Laurent Blanc and Deschamps — to ascend to the national team’s helm, a lineage that promises continuity and a renewed drive to keep France winning.