Zinedine Zidane has been confirmed as the new head coach of the France men’s national team, replacing Didier Deschamps.It was widely expected that Zidane would take over from Deschamps, who confirmed in January 2025 that he was going to leave his role at the end of the 2026 World Cup cycle.Zidane, 54, has signed a four-year deal with the national team, will officially start in the role on August 1 and will announce the rest of his staff in September.Speaking at a press conference on July 28, Zidane said: “For me, today represents continuity, a dream. I’ve had offers over the last four or five years to take charge of a club, and I’ve turned them all down for the sake of the French national team.“It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. I’ve been part of it since I was a lad; I started in the under-15s and worked my way up through every level to reach the senior squad.“I’m going to give it my all to ensure this team keeps winning – that’s the only thing that drives me.”Deschamps’ France team had looked imperious at the World Cup, winning all three of their group-stage games while scoring 10 goals, but after beating Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco in the knockouts, they were stifled by Spain in the semi-finals. That 2-0 defeat was Deschamps’ penultimate game as France coach, with his team losing 6-4 to England in the third-place play-off a few days after that Spain loss.Regarded as one of France’s greatest-ever players, Zidane has been out of work as a coach since leaving Real Madrid for a second time in May 2021.Deschamps oversaw France’s World Cup win in Russia in 2018 and led them to the final in Qatar four years ago, where they were beaten by Lionel Messi’s Argentina on penalties. The 57-year-old, a former teammate of Zidane for Juventus and the national team, also guided France to the final of Euro 2016, where they lost to hosts Portugal.Zidane helped France win the 1998 World Cup alongisde Barthez, Lzarazu and Deschamps (Christophe Simon / AFP via Getty Images)As a coach, Zidane enjoyed remarkable success with Madrid, guiding them to three consecutive Champions League titles from 2015 to 2018 in his first spell in charge. He also won La Liga in 2016-17 and 2019-20, but left after a rare trophyless season.The 54-year-old has since been linked with a number of jobs since, including the U.S. men’s national team vacancy in 2o23 and Manchester United on various occasions.In his playing days, Zidane was pivotal to France’s first-ever World Cup win in 1998 on home soil and their European Championship triumph two years later, both alongside Deschamps.His final game as a professional was the 2006 World Cup final, during which he was sent off for a headbutt on Italy’s Marco Materazzi, before 10-man France were beaten on penalties.