Football NewsBBC SportUnverified source· 28 Jul 2026
Zidane named new France manager
France legend Zinedine Zidane returns to football as national team head coach.
Z. Zidane
coach
Previous role
Real Madrid manager (second stint ended 2021)
Predecessor
Didier Deschamps (14 years, ended after 2026 World Cup)
Contract target
Lead France into 2030 World Cup
World Cup finish
Fourth place in 2026
What happened. Zinedine Zidane has been confirmed as the new head coach of the France national team, replacing Didier Deschamps after France's semi-final exit at the 2026 World Cup.
- Zidane won the World Cup as a player in 1998.
- He has been out of management since leaving Real Madrid in 2021.
- He called the appointment 'a great source of pride'.
“I've often said it: there's nothing greater than the French national team.”
— Zinedine Zidane
Zidane will aim to improve on France's fourth-place finish at the 2026 World Cup.
Read the full story at BBC Sport →
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