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The French Football Federation will present France’s next national team coach on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 11 a.m. at its headquarters. An extraordinary Executive Committee will meet beforehand. Its statement does not mention Zinedine Zidane. RMC Sport, however, says the former Real Madrid coach has signed for four years. Five days before the appointment, the date is official; the identity, contract, and staff are still awaiting federation confirmation.
The FFF Confirms The Date, Not Yet The Name
In its July 23 statement, the French Football Federation announces the schedule. Its president, Philippe Diallo, will “present the next coach of the France national team” on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 11 a.m. The press conference will be held at FFF headquarters and streamed live on its YouTube channel.
The Federation’s Executive Committee is set to meet exceptionally that same morning. This governing body will therefore precede the media presentation. The official text does not specify either the name of the future coach or the length of his contract. The start date of his term is also still unknown.
That caution changes the wording to use. The FFF has made the process and timing official, but it has not yet made Zinedine Zidane official. As of July 23, 2026, writing that he is already the coach of Les Bleus would go beyond the only federation communication available.
The former No. 10 nevertheless remains Didier Deschamps’ expected successor. RMC Sport says, based on its own information, that Zidane has signed his contract with the FFF. That named report remains attributed to the newsroom that claims it until the Federation or Zidane himself confirms it publicly.
Who Replaces Didier Deschamps After Fourteen Years?
Didier Deschamps coached his last match on July 18, 2026. France lost the World Cup third-place match against England and finished fourth. His departure ended a spell that began in summer 2012 and was announced as set to end after the World Cup.
The official record published by the FFF lists 185 matches, 120 wins, 35 draws, and 30 losses. Under his leadership, Les Bleus won the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Nations League. They also reached the finals of Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup. The next coach will therefore inherit a team established at the highest level. However, it was knocked out of the 2026 World Cup without a medal.
Zinedine Zidane offers a very different profile, while belonging to the same founding generation. A 1998 World Cup winner and 2000 European champion, he later coached Real Madrid twice. There he won three straight Champions League titles, in 2016, 2017, and 2018, as well as two La Liga titles.
He has not coached a team since the end of his second spell in Madrid, in May 2021. The national team job would therefore mark his return to the bench after more than five years. It would also be his first coaching role outside the Madrid club. That long break makes a precise presentation of his project and technical staff all the more important.
A Contract Until 2030 Still Not Confirmed By The FFF
RMC Sport reports a four-year deal, which would take Zidane through the 2030 World Cup and also cover Euro 2028. That length matches a full national-team cycle. However, it is not included in the FFF statement and, at this stage, must remain presented as that newsroom’s information.
The same caution applies to the start of the term. The July 28 conference is the date when the next coach will be presented, not necessarily the date when he officially takes office. The FFF has published no start date. The appointment therefore cannot be confused with the administrative start of the term.
The staff also still has to be officially built. RMC Sport says it should not be fully revealed for several weeks. No federation document yet makes it possible to establish the list of assistants or the goalkeeping coach. The medical staff and division of responsibilities are also still unknown.
These unknowns are not minor. Before the first camp, the Federation will have to finalize a coaching staff contract and organize support for the national-team players. It will also have to prepare an initial roster. Any names mentioned before July 28 can only be considered confirmed after an announcement from the individuals involved or from the FFF.
When Will Deschamps’ Successor Coach His First Match?
The sporting calendar is already set. According to the official FFF schedule, France will open its Nations League campaign in Turkey on Friday, September 25, 2026. It will then play in Belgium on September 28, before hosting Italy on October 2 and Belgium on October 5.
If Zidane’s appointment is confirmed on July 28, his first match should therefore be in Turkey. The press conference would come fifty-nine days before that game. That timing seems comfortable, but the first camp will begin sooner. It will require a quick decision on the makeup of the staff and the player list.
The Nations League will immediately put the next coach up against three top-tier opponents. France is in Group A1 with Turkey, Belgium, and Italy. The top two will advance to the quarterfinals scheduled for March 2027. The July 28 appointment will therefore open a preparation already bounded by six matches between September and November.
What The July 28 Announcement Will Need To Establish
The first expected answer is the simplest: the identity officially approved by the Executive Committee. If Philippe Diallo presents Zinedine Zidane, the Federation will need to specify the length and effective date of the contract. It will also need to present the timeline for assembling the staff. These elements will make it possible to distinguish the confirmed arrangements from still-reported information.
The conference will also need to clarify the scope of the mission. After fourteen years of stability under Didier Deschamps, the FFF is changing coaches with less than two months to go before the Nations League. The new leader will have to explain how he will manage the transition. It would, however, be premature to draw conclusions about his system, starters, or results.
Until that announcement, the most solid fact is summed up in one sentence. The FFF will present its next coach on July 28, 2026 at 11 a.m. RMC Sport is naming Zinedine Zidane. His arrival, contract, and technical staff will not become official until a named confirmation is issued.