Zinédine Zidane Poised to Succeed Didier Deschamps as France's National Football Coach After 2026 World Cup

The French Football Federation (FFF) has confirmed that Didier Deschamps will step down as head coach of the French national football team following the 2026 World Cup, paving the way for Zinédine Zidane to potentially take over the role. While widespread anticipation surrounds Zidane's appointment, the FFF president Philippe Diallo has clarified that the official announcement will be made only after the tournament to prevent distraction from the preparations.

Deschamps announced his impending departure, and Diallo explained the timing: "I had said there were two windows for naming the next coach: March-April or after the World Cup. My tendency is much more towards after the World Cup." Zidane, who has been long considered a natural successor since the coaching eras of his former teammates Laurent Blanc and Deschamps, has been awaiting this opportunity.

In preparation for the upcoming World Cup, Deschamps revealed that the French team will face Brazil and Colombia in friendly matches during March 2024 in the United States. These games, part of a broader preparation schedule, will be followed by World Cup matches including confrontations with Senegal, a playoff opponent from Iraq, Bolivia, or Suriname, and Norway in June 2026 at venues across New York suburbs, Philadelphia, and Boston. Notably, France previously lost to Brazil and Colombia in their last encounters in 2015 and 2018 respectively.

Deschamps also outlined plans for two additional warm-up matches prior to the World Cup, likely to be held outside Paris due to stadium unavailability. The final squad list for the tournament will be announced by Deschamps in mid-May 2026.

This planned coaching transition after the 2026 World Cup marks the end of Deschamps’ influential tenure and the beginning of what many expect to be an exciting new chapter for French football under Zidane's leadership.