Zinedine Zidane has been appointed as France's new head coach, taking over from Didier Deschamps and returning to the national team he captained to World Cup glory as a player. The French Football Federation (FFF) president, Philippe Diallo, confirmed the four-year appointment at a press conference in Paris, calling Zidane one of the "legends" of French football and noting he had long harboured an ambition to lead Les Bleus.

Zidane, 54, has not coached since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, and said he turned down club offers during that period because taking charge of France was "the only thing I wanted to do". Diallo revealed talks had begun as early as February 2025, after Deschamps announced he would step down following the 2026 World Cup, where France were eliminated by Spain in the semi-finals. Deschamps, who won the 2018 World Cup with France, was praised by Zidane for his "remarkable years" in charge.