Zinedine Zidane to coach France after 2026 FIFA World Cup: Reports

According to local media reports from the country, French legend Zinedine Zidane will take over as coach of the French national men’s team after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 1998 Ballon d’Or winner will reportedly take over from Didier Deschamps, who guided Le Blues to consecutive World Cup finals and won the 2018 edition.

Zidane, who last managed Real Madrid in 2021, won the 1998 World Cup with France as a player and finished second in the 2006 edition of the quadrennial tournament, where he was infamously sent off in the final.

The Frenchman hung up his boots after the World Cup and returned to football four years later in a coaching role, becoming an advisor to then Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho.

Six years later, he replaced Rafael Benitez as first-team manager.

He had two spells as manager of Real Madrid between 2016 and 2018 and between 2019 and 2021. In his first spell The whites won five European trophies in three years, including a hat-trick of UEFA Champions League titles.

Madrid remains the only team he managed, winning eleven major trophies in various stints before leaving the club on May 27, 2021. Although he was approached by the United States of America to become head coach for the FIFA World Cup, he turned down the offer.

Published on February 21, 2026