Zidane set to replace Deschamps as France manager after 2026 World Cup

Zinedine Zidane is poised to replace Didier Deschamps as France manager following the 2026 World Cup. 

The 53-year-old has been out of a job since leaving Real Madrid at the end of the 2020-21 season. 

Zidane boasts an impressive managerial CV, having won two La Liga titles during his two spells at Los Blancos. 

The Frenchman also lifted three consecutive Champions League trophies with Madrid, making him the only manager in world football to achieve the feat. 

Diario AS claims Zidane has an agreement to take over as France’s new manager after the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. 

Zidane has received numerous offers since leaving Los Blancos, but he rejected them, as he was only interested in the France job. 

He made over 100 appearances as a player for Les Bleus, and also scored a brace in the 1998 World Cup final, which they won.  

Deschamps has previously announced his intention to leave the role following the summer tournament. 

The 57-year-old has performed an outstanding job after being appointed as France manager in 2013. 

He led his country to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup and later to the final of the 2016 European Championship, where they eventually lost to Portugal. 

Deschamps guided his team to victory in the 2018 World Cup, becoming the third man in history to win the competition both as a player and a manager. 

He also came close to adding another World Cup trophy when Les Bleus lost the final to Argentina on penalties in Qatar.