France has officially named Zinedine Zidane as the new manager of its national team.
The Les Bleus legend will replace Didier Deschamps after the former manager finished the 2026 World Cup in fourth place.
Philippe Diallo, the president of the French Football Federation, held a press conference on Tuesday, July 28 introducing the new boss. Diallo thanked Deschamps for his work as the longest-tenured manager in France's history. He also congratulated the new head coach, who scored two goals in France's 1998 World Cup final win in which Deschamps was his teammate.
France shared the news on its social media accounts with a graphic featuring a photo of Zidane, 54, wearing a suit and his name in white text below the national team's rooster logo.
The
midfielder, also known as Zizou, scored 31 goals in his time as a player for France. He won the 1998 Ballon d'Or as that year's best player to go with the World Cup win and then led France to a victory at the 2000 European Championship. He signed with Real Madrid in 2001 and won the 2002 Champions League before retiring after the 2006 World Cup, in which France lost to Italy in the final in penalties after Zidane received a red card.
Zidane last held a coaching position at Real Madrid. He won three straight UEFA Champions League titles from 2015 to 2018 and is the only manager to accomplish the feat. He left his leadership role with the club twice, once in 2018 and then with finality in 2021.
Zidane inherits a talented France team which won the 2018 World Cup and was in the final for the 2022 edition, in which they lost in penalties to Argentina. This summer, Les Bleus lost the third-place match to England in a chaotic 10-goal frenzy. Kylian Mbappé scored 10 goals in the tournament and was the first player to win back-to-back Golden Boot trophies. He also holds the record for most all-time World Cup goals with 22. Ousmane Dembélé, who won the 2025 Ballon d'Or, added six goals. Michael Olise passed Pelé for the record of most assists in a World Cup.
Mbappé penned a heartfelt farewell to Deschamps ahead of his final match.
"To put into words all that you have brought us for the past 14 years is very difficult," the star striker wrote in French. "... Thank you for giving me the chance and opportunity to represent my country on the biggest stage for so many years. I feel privileged to have been able to be at your side for one of the greatest legends of our country, and I will have only the best memories of all that we have lived and accomplished together."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: France announces Zinedine Zidane as national team manager
