play Live Sign upShow navigation menuplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upSport|FootballZinedine Zidane named new France head coach following World CupEx-France superstar player Zinedine Zidane unveiled as new head coach following team’s World Cup 2026 disappointment.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoFrench Football Federation unveil Zinedine Zidane as new head coach at the French Federation Headquarters, Paris, France on July 28, 2026 [Abdul Saboor/Reuters]By ReutersPublished On 28 Jul 202628 Jul 2026Former France midfielder Zinedine Zidane will take over as national team head coach, the French Football Federation posted on X on Tuesday.
The appointment of the former Real Madrid manager comes two weeks after Didier Deschamps’ tenure as coach ended following France’s fourth-place finish at the World Cup. His final match in charge was the 6-4 defeat by England.
Zidane, 54, is expected to begin his reign with an away UEFA Nations League game against Turkiye before France host Italy at the Stade de France on October 2.
Deschamps, who left 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.
Both share a long association, having been teammates in the 1998 World Cup-winning side at home in France.
Zidane played a pivotal role in that triumph and won the Ballon d’Or that year.
