Zinedine Zidane to Lead France from July 28 as Deschamps Era Ends
The French Football Federation has put a date on the handover of power. Next Tuesday, at its Paris headquarters, France will officially present the new head coach of Les Bleus – a move that clears the runway for Zinedine Zidane’s long-awaited return to the touchline after five years away.
The federation confirmed in a statement on Thursday that president Philippe Diallo will front a press conference on 28 July 2026 at 11:00. The event will follow an extraordinary meeting of the executive committee earlier that day, during which the new coach will be formally validated and then unveiled to the media.
Local newspapers had already circled the date on Wednesday night. Now it’s official. Didier Deschamps is out. Zidane is poised to step in.
No farewell tour for Deschamps
Deschamps walks away after 14 years in charge of the national team, an era that delivered a World Cup title, another final, and a European Championship final. Yet there will be no public goodbye, no ceremony, no lap of honour.
The federation will move straight from one giant to the next. No speeches. No testimonial. Just a clean cut and a new chapter.
All eyes now lock onto his successor – the man who shared the midfield with him when France lifted the World Cup in 1998 and who has been shadowing the job for years without ever stepping into it.
Zidane returns after five-year hiatus
Zidane has not coached since leaving Real Madrid in June 2021. During that time, he turned down a string of offers, staying on the sidelines and waiting for one job: France.
His name has been stitched to the role in speculation for years. Now, according to multiple reliable reports, the agreement with the federation is done. Only the final touches remain around the composition of his backroom staff before he can officially take charge.
French parliament recently passed reforms on the salary cap, a move that could have complicated negotiations for a coach of Zidane’s stature. It won’t. He has secured a special exemption from the relevant government authorities, clearing the last major administrative hurdle.
A brutal opening act for Zizou
If Zidane wanted a gentle reintroduction to the dugout, the calendar has other ideas. His first steps as France coach come in a compressed, high-stakes block of UEFA Nations League fixtures between September and November, against opposition that will test his ideas from day one.
The mission starts on 25 September with a trip to Turkey. Three days later, on 28 September, France head to Belgium. Then comes the first night under the lights at the Stade de France on 2 October, against Italy – a game loaded with personal resonance for Zidane after five years as a player at Juventus.
That meeting could carry an extra layer of intrigue. Deschamps, heavily linked with the Italian national team after his France exit, may yet cross paths with his old side from the opposite bench if reports prove accurate.
The schedule does not ease up. France host Belgium on 5 October, travel to Italy on 12 November, and close the group stage at home to Turkey on 15 November.
Zidane’s Nations League run-in with France
- Turkey v France – 25 September
- Belgium v France – 28 September
- France v Italy – 2 October
- France v Belgium – 5 October
- Italy v France – 12 November
- France v Turkey – 15 November
No warm-up games, no time to breathe. Zidane steps back into coaching with France thrown straight into a gauntlet of Turkey, Belgium and Italy – and a nation expecting not just continuity after Deschamps, but a new imprint from one of its greatest ever players.
