Zinedine Zidane (54) will lead the France national team. It is virtually certain.
According to reports from multiple outlets including ESPN on the 24th (Korea time), Zidane has reached a verbal agreement to take over the France national team as the successor to Didier Deschamps. The official appointment is expected to take place after the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. A broad consensus has already been formed with the French Football Federation (FFF).
A new era has been prepared quietly. Deschamps' departure was no longer a secret. Having led the national team since 2012 and experienced World Cup victory and runner-up finishes, he is one of the coaches who created the longest and most successful run in French football history.
The next successor had been decided early. It is Zidane.
He, who is like a symbol of the 1998 World Cup victory, has been mentioned as a candidate for the national team manager ever since he left Real Madrid in 2021. He waited for the opportunity, and that timing has now arrived.
Time took longer than expected, but the direction did not change. It is a natural handover that coincides with the end of the Deschamps era.
The remaining process now is detailed coordination. Discussions on the coaching staff composition and size are in the final stage. Once this part is settled, a contract will be signed and an official announcement is expected to follow.
The French Football Federation has effectively acknowledged this. Philippe Diallo, the president, recently said in an interview, "I know who the successor is," revealing the outlines. He did not name the person directly, but it implies the decision has already been made internally.
For Zidane, this choice is not simply a return. It is a moment of going back to the stage where he shone most as a player. Having experienced World Cup victory as a player, he will now lead a new era as the manager of the national team.
His career as a coach has also been sufficiently proven. He achieved the unprecedented feat of three consecutive Champions League titles with Real Madrid. After a long hiatus, the stage he chose to return to is the national team.
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