Zidane named France coach after Deschamps' 14-year reign: first match in Turkey on 25 September

The appointment finally arrives

After months of speculation, the French Football Federation (FFF) named Zinedine Zidane as the new head coach of the men’s national team on Tuesday 28 July 2026. The 54-year‑old succeeds Didier Deschamps, whose 14‑year tenure brought a World Cup title in 2018 and spanned a record number of matches. Zidane, who had been away from the touchline for five years since his second spell at Real Madrid, described the role as closing a loop.

I want to close the loop with the French team. I experienced this team as a player. And it’s the best thing that ever happened to me! But really! It’s the summit.

FFF president Philippe Diallo had already signalled in March that the successor must “tick many boxes and also be able to win the support of the French people.” The executive committee met on the morning of 28 July before the decision was made public at a press conference.

The handover from Deschamps

Deschamps, who took over in 2012, leaves a squad that reached the semi‑finals of the 2026 World Cup. Zidane inherits what former coach Raymond Domenech called “an exceptional generation that can reach the heights.” Domenech, who led France from 2004 to 2010 and coached Zidane at the 2006 World Cup, said the role is unmatched in a manager’s career.

It’s the Grail, the supreme post. It’s hard to do better after that, even if you take a big club.

Zidane’s club record (three Champions League titles across his two Real Madrid spells, 2016–2018 and 2019–2021) gives him a pedigree few national‑team newcomers possess. Domenech added that Zidane’s aura, confirmed at Real Madrid, would help him “convey messages” to a group of established leaders. Zidane himself had told L’Équipe in 2022 that he felt “legitimate with the French team.”

First match and the campaign

The new coach’s timetable is already set. Zidane’s first squad list will be published on Thursday 17 September 2026, with the group gathering at Clairefontaine on 21 September. His first touchline appearance comes four days later.

Zidane will debut away to Turkey in the Nations League on Friday 25 September. After a second trip, to Belgium on 28 September, his first home match falls on Friday 2 October, when France host Italy. That fixture carries a personal echo: Italy was Zidane’s last opponent as a player, in the 2006 World Cup final. The Nations League window then runs through early October, marking the start of a cycle that the FFF expects to build toward Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup.

A generational handover

Zidane takes over a group that has been together for several tournaments. Domenech stressed that the immediate challenge is assessing players after a World Cup and rebuilding contact with the leaders. “The essence of the national coach’s job is to extract the quintessence of a group in very little time,” he said. Domenech also noted that Zidane’s reserved public image may evolve now that he represents the federation full‑time. For now, the new coach begins with the broad goodwill of a federation and a public that saw his appointment as a natural succession.