French media reveals Zidane is about to take over as head coach of the national team

L'Équipe broke this news just before the World Cup third-place match on July 19, where France lost to England 6-4. According to the report, Zidane will officially take over as coach on September 1, replacing Didier Deschamps. The French Football Federation has not yet confirmed the appointment, but its president, Philippe Diallo, stated that an announcement will be made before the end of this month.

French newspaper Le Parisien also reports that Zidane has quietly begun building his coaching staff, including long-time collaborator David Bettoni. Little information has been revealed so far, as the former French captain is keeping all preparations under wraps, avoiding public attention.

If confirmed as head coach, the first major tournament he is likely to lead France in would be EURO 2028. Zidane's first match as head coach is expected to be an away game against Turkey in the UEFA Nations League, before France hosts Italy at the Stade de France on October 2.

Coach Deschamps is leaving the national team after 14 years at the helm. During this period, he managed 185 matches and led France to win the 2018 World Cup, the 2020-2021 UEFA Nations League title, and two runners-up finishes in EURO 2016 and the 2022 World Cup.

Notably, Deschamps and Zidane were teammates when France won the 1998 World Cup on home soil.

As a coach, Zidane achieved great success with Real Madrid, leading the Spanish club to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, a feat that no other team has replicated.