France legend Zinedine Zidane is expected to take over as head coach of the France national football team after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Local media say the 1998 Ballon d’Or winner has come to a verbal agreement with the French Football Federation to take over from Didier Deschamps, who took Les Bleus to back-to-back World Cup finals, winning the trophy in 2018.
Zidane also had a great playing career with France, winning the 1998 World Cup and coming in second in 2006, in which Deschamps was the captain.
Since he retired, he put together an impressive managerial record with Real Madrid CF, winning 11 major trophies in two separate periods, including three straight UEFA Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018.
The 51-year-old has said before that he wants to manage the national team. Last year, he mentioned that coaching France is something he really hopes to do. Since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, Zidane hasn’t taken on any managerial positions, even though some federations have shown interest in him.
If his appointment goes through, it would be a fresh start for the 2018 world champions once the 2026 tournament wraps up.
