France football legend Zinedine Zidane has been named head coach of the national team, succeeding Didier Deschamps on a four-year deal, the French Football Federation announced Tuesday.
The appointment of former Real Madrid manager Zidane comes two weeks after Deschamps' tenure as coach ended following France's fourth-place finish at the World Cup. His final match in charge was a 6-4 defeat by England.
"The French team was the only thing I wanted to do," Zidane told reporters. "I've always looked at this team through the eyes of a future manager. I didn’t take a club job for that reason. The only thing I wanted to do after Madrid was manage the French national team."
"I could have taken on a three-year role because Deschamps was there. He made that decision in January 2025 and the very next day I knew I wanted to be the next one. We met with the president and the deal was sealed." The 54-year-old Zidane is expected to begin his reign with an away Nations League game against Türkiye before France host Italy at the Stade de France on Oct. 2.
Deschamps, who left the role after 14 years at the helm, oversaw 185 matches and 120 victories, guiding France to the 2018 World Cup title, the 2020-21 Nations League trophy, and the Euro 2016 and 2022 World Cup finals.
