France isn't searching for their next coach. They've already found him. Zinedine Zidane has reportedly had a verbal agreement with the French Football Federation for months, and once Didier Deschamps walks away after Saturday's third-place playoff against England, the transition begins in earnest.
This is not a surprise. It was always going to be Zidane.
The only man who could follow a 14-year Deschamps reign — one that produced a World Cup in 2018, a runner-up finish in 2022, and three consecutive semifinal appearances — is someone who carries equal weight in French football culture. Zidane, the captain of the 1998 World Cup winners and the 2000 European champions, carries that and then some. His playing legacy alone would justify the conversation. But he comes with a managerial record that demands it: two La Liga titles and three consecutive Champions League trophies across two spells at Real Madrid.
A squad that needs a new idea, not a new attitude
The criticism of Deschamps was never effort or organisation. It was ambition. France's 2-0 loss to Spain in the semifinal was another reminder that a squad containing Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué should not be grinding for half-chances. Deschamps' pragmatism was the foundation of everything France achieved. It was also, at times, a ceiling.
Zidane's reputation at Madrid was built on the opposite instinct — trusting elite players, giving them room, and adjusting his shape to what the moment demanded rather than defaulting to structure. Whether he can translate that to international football, with less training time and more political complexity, is the actual question worth asking.
He won't be short of material to work with. France's attacking depth is genuinely difficult to match internationally, and Mbappé remains the programme's face and its best argument to opponents. The talent isn't the challenge. Consistently unlocking it in tournament knockouts is.
What this means for France's odds going forward
Any major-tournament odds for France in the coming cycle will be shaped by how quickly Zidane establishes his system. His first tests are expected in the UEFA Nations League later this year — competitive enough to give a read, low-stakes enough to absorb early experiments. France will enter Euro 2028 qualifying as one of the favourites regardless, but the nature of their football under Zidane will determine whether they're a team you back to win it or a team you expect to go deep and fall short again.
Deschamps ends his tenure as one of the most decorated national team coaches of his generation. The record makes that case without argument. Zidane now inherits a squad that doesn't consider semifinals an achievement — and a federation that has already decided he's the man to finish the job.
