Officially: Zidane appointed coach of the "Roosters"

The former playmaker, who won the 1998 World Cup with “the Gallic Roosters,” will take on the task of succeeding his former teammate Didier Deschamps, who has led the national team since 2012. Deschamps’ tenure ended with a fourth-place finish at the 2026 World Cup, following the team’s championship victory in 2018 and a final appearance in 2022.

Zidane, speaking from the headquarters of the French Football Federation following the official announcement of his appointment as head coach of the French national team on Tuesday, said, “Coaching the French national team is the only thing I ever wanted to do.”

The 54-year-old former playmaker for “the Gallic Roosters” added, “It’s a kind of continuity, and somehow a dream.”

Zidane, who had been without a managerial role since 2021 after his stint with Spanish club Real Madrid, continued, “I received offers over the past four or five years to manage clubs, but I turned them all down in favor of the French national team.”