Confirmed! Zidane becomes new France national coach

What has been rumored for months is now official: Zinedine Zidane takes over the French national team.

After five years without a coaching job, the 54-year-old returns to the big football stage and succeeds Didier Deschamps.

For Zidane, it is his first coaching role outside of Real Madrid. The former World Player of the Year has long been considered the preferred candidate and designated successor to Deschamps.

Zidane signed a contract until after the 2030 World Cup and is set to lead the Équipe Tricolore into a new era. Zidane will make his debut as France's national coach on September 25 in the Nations League against Turkey.

Zidane takes on a difficult legacy

However, the task is anything but easy. Deschamps' footsteps are immense. The 1998 World Champion, who lifted the title with Zidane at the time, had been at the helm of the French team since 2012 and coached a total of 187 matches – more than any other national coach before him.

Under Deschamps, France reached two World Cup finals. Their greatest success came in 2018 with the triumph at the World Cup in Russia. Deschamps also made history: Alongside Brazil's Mario Zagallo and Germany's Franz Beckenbauer, he is one of the few individuals who became World Champions as both a player and a coach.

Zidane successful as player and coach

Zidane now has precisely this feat in his sights. The Frenchman looks back on a short but successful coaching career.

From 2016 to 2018 and again from 2019 to 2021, he coached Real Madrid, winning the Champions League three times and the Spanish championship twice with *Los Blancos*.

As a player, Zidane has long been one of the biggest names in football history. The Ballon d'Or winner became a World and European Champion, won the Champions League, and led France to their first ever World Cup title in 1998. He made 108 appearances for the national team.

His last appearance was the legendary 2006 World Cup final against Italy, where Zidane was sent off after headbutting Marco Materazzi, and France lost in a penalty shootout.