Zidane takes over as coach of the French national team.

The French Football Federation appointed Zinedine Zidane as the new coach of the French national team for the next four years, replacing Didier Deschamps, on Tuesday.

The president of the French Federation, Philippe Diallo, said on Tuesday from the federation's headquarters, alongside Zidane: “Zinedine Zidane will be the coach of the French national team for the next four years.”

He added: “As of February 2025, I met with Zinedine Zidane and communicated with him to offer him the task of leading the French national team.”

The former playmaker, who won the 1998 World Cup with the "Blues," takes over from his former teammate Didier Deschamps, who has led the team since 2012, ending his tenure with a fourth-place finish in the 2026 World Cup, after winning the title in 2018 and reaching the final in 2022.

Zinedine Zidane (54 years old) has been without a coaching position since 2021, following the end of his second term with Real Madrid.

The holder of the number 10 jersey, who played 108 international matches with the French national team, has only coached Real Madrid, the club where he ended his playing career, before taking over as coach in two terms (2016-2018 and 2019-2021).

Zidane was crowned world champion in 1998 and European champion in 2000, and he led Real Madrid to win the UEFA Champions League three consecutive times (2016, 2017, and 2018), an unprecedented achievement for coaches in the top European club competitions.

His appointment to this position has been anticipated for a long time, as his name has been mentioned repeatedly over the past years, especially in 2018 and 2022, before the French Federation renewed its confidence in Didier Deschamps.

The French national team will hold its first gathering under Zidane's leadership in September, in preparation for the start of the UEFA Nations League, with their first official match against Turkey on the 25th of the same month.