Zinedine Zidane confirmed as new France manager after World Cup semi-final exit

Zinedine Zidane has been confirmed as head coach of the France national team, taking over from Didier Deschamps following their World Cup semi-final exit.

Deschamps announced in January 2025 that he would step down following this summer’s World Cup, with France knocked out in the last four by European champions Spain in a 2-0 defeat.

Zidane had been out of a managerial post since leaving Real Madrid, where he won three Champions League and two La Liga titles, in 2021.

But the former France captain had been widely touted as a potential replacement for Deschamps, who helmed the national side for 14 years, and has been installed on a long-term deal.

Deschamps stepped down after taking France to three major finals and World Cup glory in 2018, becoming the third man to win the World Cup as both player and manager.

He is succeeded by one another of the nation’s finest ever players: Zidane earned 108 France caps and won the World Cup in 1998, scoring a brace in the final, as well as the Euros in 2002. He was sent off in the final of the 2006 World Cup, the last match of his playing career, for a headbutt.

The 54-year-old took his first steps into management with Real Madrid Castilla in 2014, spending two seasons there before moving to the first team.

There, Zidane became the first coach to win the Champions League three times in a row before resigning in 2018, though returned the following year for another spell in which he won another La Liga title and a Supercopa de Espana.

Having signed an extended contract, he will now be tasked with getting the best out of a gifted generation of attacking talents with France likely to again be among the favourites for Euro 2028 and the World Cup in 2030.