Zidane Reaffirms His Desire to Coach the French National Team After the 2026 World Cup

The French football legend Zinedine Zidane expressed his desire to take over as coach of the French national team "in the future" on Sunday, confirming that the matter is not yet decided.

Zidane (53 years old) said during his participation in the sports festival organized by the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport: "I am sure of my return to coaching… in the future, what I want one day is to coach the French national team. We will see."

Zidane is considered the frontrunner to succeed the current coach Didier Deschamps, who is expected to leave his position after the 2026 World Cup if the "Blues" qualify.

- He led Real Madrid in two periods (2016-2018 and 2019-2021).
- He won two La Liga titles (2017 and 2020).
- He won three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles (2016, 2017, and 2018).

- World Cup champion in 1998 and European champion in 2000.
- He played 108 international matches and scored 31 goals.
- He played for clubs such as Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus, and Real Madrid.

Zidane confirmed that "passion" is the most important element in the success of any coach, explaining that his role is not limited to tactical plans, but extends to conveying his experience and values to the players.