In Kyiv, Zinedine Zidane smiles after Real Madrid’s third straight European crown in 2018. The future national team manager holds the trophy that sealed his first coaching reign. Credit: Oleg Dubyna / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Zinedine Zidane is officially the new head coach of the French national team. The French Football Federation approved his appointment on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Paris. His four-year term will begin on August 1 and run through the 2030 World Cup. His first task will be immediate: assembling his staff, meeting the players, and preparing for the trip to Turkey on September 25.
Zidane Replaces Deschamps As Of August 1
The FFF Executive Committee approved Zinedine Zidane’s candidacy before his introduction by Philippe Diallo, president of the Federation. At 54, the former Blues captain becomes the 18th head coach in the team’s history since Henri Guérin, appointed in 1964. He succeeds Didier Deschamps, who stayed at the helm of the national team for fourteen years.
The contract covers a full cycle. It includes the 2026-2027 Nations League and qualifying for Euro 2028. That will be followed by the 2028-2029 Nations League, then the 2030 World Cup qualifiers. The August 1 date marks the official start of his duties. It does not correspond to either his first camp, in September, or his first match.
This transition comes ten days after France’s run at the 2026 World Cup ended. Zidane praised Deschamps and his staff for their work, while embracing the start of a new chapter. Philippe Diallo said he had begun speaking with him as early as February 2025. Those talks followed the announcement of Deschamps’ departure after the tournament.
The Announcement Settles Three Unknowns, But Not All of Them
On July 23, Ecostylia distinguished between the facts already established and the information still to be confirmed. The July 28 press conference now provides three firm answers. It establishes Deschamps’ successor, the length of his term, and his start date. It also corrects the assumption that he would not take over until September.
The schedule is confirmed as well. Zidane will lead Les Bleus in Turkey on September 25, then in Belgium on September 28. His first match at Stade de France will be France vs. Italy on October 2, followed by a home match against Belgium on October 5. Two more Nations League matches will follow in November, in Italy and then against Turkey in Bordeaux.
Several elements, however, remain open. The first squad list is not known, and the sporting hierarchy has not been publicly set. No specific formation has been presented either. The FFF has not disclosed Zinédine Zidane’s salary, his bonuses, or any contractual clauses. These gaps do not allow for any serious estimate of his pay.
A Staff Inspired By Real Madrid, Without Announced Names
Zidane said his coaching staff was “already in place.” In its detailed account of the press conference, the FFF spells out the outline. It will keep most of the staff that worked with him at Real Madrid, with “two or three additions.” The named lineup will not be revealed until early September.
This continuity reflects all of Zinédine Zidane’s experience as a coach. The teams he has led so far have all been within the same club. He coached Real Madrid Castilla, then Real Madrid’s first team in two spells. There he notably won three consecutive Champions Leagues, in 2016, 2017, and 2018, as well as two Spanish league titles.
That Madrid background gives some insight into his working habits, but not yet into the identity of his future assistants. No name floated before the official announcement can be treated as confirmed. We will also have to wait until September to know how responsibilities will be divided within the staff.
A Declared Continuity, A Project Yet To Be Defined
On style of play, Zidane refused to promise a break from the Deschamps era. He said he wanted to do things differently while maintaining a continuity focused on winning. His plan must be explained to the players and then laid out more precisely at the September press conference. As things stand, his comments do not allow any conclusion about a tactical setup or starting lineup hierarchy.
The new head coach simply said he is driven by the game and the search for goals, without neglecting team balance. That broad direction still has to be translated onto the pitch. After five years without coaching a club, he says he has watched many matches. He also says he has observed the French national team already thinking about this role.
The same caution applies to Kylian Mbappé. Zidane said he has not yet spoken with him and wants to let him recover after the World Cup. Their conversation is scheduled for the September camp, as are those with the other internationals. Nothing in this statement suggests a decision has been made on the captaincy.
Fifty-Five Days To Prepare For The First Match
Between taking office on August 1 and the trip to Turkey on September 25, Zidane will have fifty-five days. That period will need to be used to finalize the staff, draw up a first squad list, speak individually with the players, and prepare for an unusually packed camp.
The first four matches will be played over eleven days, from September 25 to October 5. They will immediately pit France against the other three teams in its Nations League group: Turkey, Belgium, and Italy. The top two will advance to the quarterfinals scheduled for March 2027.
Zidane has therefore set a simple priority: the first match in Turkey. The staff will be announced a few weeks beforehand, and the first squad list will provide the first concrete clues about his choices. Until those appointments, the term, its length, and its schedule are official; the sporting setup and methods still remain to be publicly built.
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