PARIS - Zinedine Zidane will take charge of France with the weight of history behind him and one of world football’s most gifted squads in front of him, as the 1998 World Cup hero returns to the national team tasked with turning recent near-misses into trophies.
The announcement on Tuesday confirmed that France were handing the reins to a man whose brilliance as a player helped deliver their first World Cup title on home soil, and whose managerial pedigree was proven by winning the biggest prizes at Real Madrid.
Zidane is a coach defined by calm authority, man-management skills and an ability to give elite players the freedom to decide matches. At Real, he built a side that could move the ball swiftly in transition, switch shape quickly and remain composed under pressure in the biggest games.
He led Real Madrid to three successive Champions League titles, and that will be the level demanded by France as they build towards the 2028 European Championship.
“When I met Zinedine in February 2025, he said to me, ‘President, I know how to win.’ I sensed someone who had the drive and the confidence to lead Les Bleus to victory,” France Football Federation president Philippe Diallo said.
For a French squad featuring forwards Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Desire Doue in their prime, Zidane’s appointment offers the possibility of an even sharper attacking identity.
Recent failures
France have rarely lacked talent, but their recent failures at decisive moments have raised questions over whether they need more freedom, invention and unpredictability when the stakes are highest.
Zidane’s Real Madrid were balanced and pragmatic when necessary, but what gave them their edge was the latitude afforded to elite players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric to take ownership on the pitch, improvise and bend matches to their will.
Deschamps’ steady leadership helped France reclaim their place at the summit of international football after the chaos of the 2010 World Cup, when a winless side were eliminated in the group stage and by 2018 they were world champions again.
But his final chapter was marked by frustration on the biggest stages, with France losing to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final before bowing out of three successive tournaments after knockout defeats by Spain, including this month’s World Cup semi-final.
Spain controlled the tempo, denied France space in transition and blunted their attacking threat in a comfortable 2-0 victory before beating an equally toothless Argentina in the final.
Deschamps’ structured, chess-like approach was exactly what France needed to rebuild after the 2010 debacle, but now may be the moment for Zidane to loosen the shackles and set his team free.
“It is something different compared to managing a club. But it does not scare me. It is what I wanted to do,” Zidane said.
