Zidane will be announced as the new coach of the French national team

The French Football Federation announced that the entity's president, Philippe Diallo, will present the next commander of the national team during a press conference scheduled for 11 am local time. Although the statement does not mention the name of the chosen one, the French press points to Zidane as Deschamps' successor.

According to RMC Sport, the former Real Madrid coach has already reached an agreement with the federation. The last details discussed mainly involve the formation of the technical committee that will work with him.

At 54 years old, Zidane has been without a club since May 2021, when he ended his second spell at Real Madrid. Since then, he has been linked to European teams and million-dollar projects in Saudi Arabia, but he chose to wait for the opportunity to manage the French team.

Taking over France has always been treated as a special objective for the former midfielder, world champion as a player in 1998 and one of the biggest names in the country's football history.

After the presentation, Zidane will have around two months to prepare his official debut. France returns to the field in September in the group stage of the Nations League.

The first commitment is scheduled for September 25th, against Turkey. Three days later, the French team will face Belgium away from home. In October, the French welcome Italy and face the Belgians again.

Victorious career at Real MadridZidane's experience as a coach is concentrated at Real Madrid. He started working in the youth teams and as an assistant before taking over the main team in January 2016.

In his first spell, he won three consecutive editions of the Champions League, an unprecedented feat in the tournament's modern format. A few days after his third European title, in May 2018, he announced that he would step down.

The Frenchman returned to the club in March 2019, in the midst of a sporting crisis. He remained until 2021, when he left again after stating that he no longer felt the necessary trust from management to continue the work.

End of the Deschamps eraZidane will take over the post held by Didier Deschamps for 14 years. The coach ended his time with the national team after the 6-4 defeat to England, in the dispute for third place in the 2026 World Cup.

Hired in 2012, Deschamps led France in 185 matches and won the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Nations League. He also led the team to the finals of the 2016 Euro Cup and the 2022 World Cup.

Before his farewell, the coach acknowledged that he would miss representing the country and highlighted the memories accumulated during the years he defended the national team as a player and coach.

Deschamps also joined a select group of world champions on and off the field. France's captain in the 1998 title, he lifted the trophy again 20 years later as team commander.

Ideal eleven for the 2026 World Cup with African star and absentees

Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha was chosen for the ideal 'eleven' for the World Cup 2026, which includes three footballers from champion Spain - including midfielder Rodri, voted best player of the tournament - and the same number from France.