Zinedine Zidane has reached a verbal agreement to become the next head coach of the French national team, according to reports by Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The arrangement would see Zidane take charge of Les Bleus after the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, paving the way for a carefully structured transition at the top of French football.
Current coach Didier Deschamps will remain in position through the 2026 tournament. His contract runs until the end of the World Cup, and he has already confirmed his intention to step down afterwards, allowing the French Football Federation (FFF) to prepare a seamless handover.
Zidane’s return to management has been widely anticipated since he left Real Madrid in 2021. Despite being linked with several elite club roles across Europe, the 51-year-old has consistently been reported to favour the France job, a position many within the federation view as a natural next step.
As a coach, Zidane built one of the most remarkable résumés in modern European football. He guided Real Madrid to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018 — a feat unmatched in the competition’s modern era. His honours list also includes two La Liga titles, two FIFA Club World Cups and multiple domestic and European Super Cups across two spells in charge.
Sources indicate that the FFF have already begun preliminary planning around Zidane’s expected appointment. Internal discussions reportedly include staff structure, technical appointments and the framework for a long-term sporting project aimed at sustaining France’s elite status.
Zidane’s arrival would signal the beginning of a new chapter for a national team he once inspired as a player. He famously led France to their first FIFA World Cup triumph on home soil in 1998 and followed it with victory at Euro 2000, cementing his legacy as one of the country’s greatest footballers.
The timing of the transition is seen as strategic. France possesses one of the most talented squads in world football, headlined by captain Kylian Mbappé and bolstered by a wave of emerging stars. The federation believes Zidane’s stature, experience and authority could prove decisive in maintaining competitiveness at the highest level beyond 2026.
For now, Deschamps remains focused on leading France into what will be his final major tournament. But all indications suggest that, once the curtain falls on the 2026 World Cup, Zidane will be poised to take the reins.
