France turn to Zidane as coach in long-awaited homecoming

President of the French Football Federation Philippe Diallo (R) gestures next to former French international football player Zinedine Zidane (L) as they pose after a press conference to present him as the new head coach of France national football team at the French Football Federation headquarters in Paris on July 28, 2026. [AFP]

 Zinedine Zidane was appointed France coach on Tuesday, as widely expected, following the departure of Didier Deschamps, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced.

Zidane, 54, had long been viewed as the leading candidate for the role and had been waiting for an opportunity to take charge of the national team for several years.

He will replace Deschamps, whose tenure began in 2012 and ended earlier this month after France finished fourth at the World Cup.

Deschamps guided France to 2018 World Cup glory and the final four years later.

The former Real Madrid star, Deschamps' teammate in the 1998 World Cup triumph, has been readying himself for the role since leaving Real Madrid in 2021.

"The France job was the only one I wanted," Zidane said after his unveiling at the FFF headquarters in Paris.

"I've had offers over these four or five years to take charge of a club and I turned them all down for the French national team."

Zidane will follow in the footsteps of former international team-mates Laurent Blanc, who coached the national side from 2010 to 2012, and Deschamps.

The former France playmaker, who won the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship as a player, has coached only one club, Real Madrid.

During his time with the Spanish giants, he led them to three consecutive Champions League titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018, an unprecedented achievement in the competition's modern era.