Deschamps will step down as France manager after the 2026 World Cup: Is the door finally open for Zidane?

France's 2018 World Cup-winning manager Didier Deschamps has announced his decision to step down as the head coach of France after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Speaking to French Broadcaster TF1, the longest-serving coach of the France national team confirmed his decision as he admitted: "In 2026 it will be over. In my head, it's very clear,"

🗞 "One Last Time in America"
L'Equipe's frontpage for Didier Deschamps' 2026 exit as France manager. pic.twitter.com/fjhwSKv29G

— Get French Football News (@GFFN) January 7, 2025

However, this news has stormed into the headlines and consequently raised an old but very popular question for football fans. What if this decision has finally opened the doors for France legend Zinedine Zidane to take over the helm of Les Blues?

Zidane's long-standing desire to coach France's national team

Zinedine Zidane, the superstar of the 1998 FIFA World Cup-winning France squad, has always expressed his aim to coach the French national team. He told L’Equipe the following in 2022:

With France, it’s not over. Of course, I want it. I hope I’ll be one day. When? It’s not up to me. But I want to close the loop with France. Playing for France is the best thing that happened to me,

Zidane has not taken any other managerial job since quitting his position at Real Madrid in 2021, but was repeatedly discussed at times as the potential successor of Didier Deschamps. However, Deschamps renewed his contract for four years in 2023, but he will step down earlier in 2026.

As per reports by Marca in 2022, the former France Football Federation (FFF) President Noel De Graet revealed that Deschamps might be replaced if France failed to reach the semi-finals.

The Spanish media outlet also revealed that Zidane was already being considered as the next Les Blues coach. However, France became the runners-up in the 2022 tournament and Deschamps continued with the team.

FFF President Philippe Diallo's statement raised speculations

In an interview on RMC Sport's Afert-Foot program in December 2024, current FFF President Philippe Diallo admitted the 'growing speculation' about the appointment of Zinedine Zidane. He said the following:

Do people talk to me about Zidane? I would be lying if I said no one has mentioned it to me. I don’t deny it. I go out into the field, I hear people, I listen to you, and I know there’s demand. I’m not deaf.

He also confirmed at that time, that FFF would not sack Deschamps despite the situation as 'it is not on the cards'. He stated:

I arrived in January 2023 with Didier Deschamps, who had just renewed his contract for four years. I respect that contract. He has met the objectives set by the FFF,

Would it be costly to break his contract? Obviously, that’s one aspect. But the primary consideration is that I asked Didier Deschamps to reach the semifinals of the European Championship. And he did,

However, following Deschamps' announcement regarding his unexpected decision, Diallo concealed the speculations and possible hints. He told L'Equipe:

I will not engage in this debate. Didier has two years left on his contract, and out of respect for him, his staff, and the players, the question of his succession does not arise today. I want Didier to work in peace, as we have significant challenges ahead

Diallo revealed nothing but shared his warm appreciation for Zidane and acknowledged his success with Real Madrid. He stated:

He is one of the pillars of French and world football. He contributed to our first star on the jersey. I have immense respect and admiration for one of the greatest players in football history.

I have seen that he achieved very high-quality results with Real Madrid, He has already won the most beautiful trophy of all, the Champions League, multiple times. Thus, he has demonstrated the full extent of his talent.

Zidane may not receive unanimous support

Zinedine Zidane has an impressive trophy cabinet as a manager with 11 trophies, especially marked by three back-to-back Champions League trophies with an unstoppable Real Madrid team from 2016 to 2018. 

Although Zidane has been mentioned the most as the potential candidate to take the France job, he may not be the only option to be considered by FFF in the upcoming eighteen months.

In an interview with RMC Sport back in August 2024, President Diallo himself declined to rule out the possibility that another France legend, Thierry Henry may succeed Didier Deschamps as manager of the France national team. Diallo remarked: 

Henry, when I appointed him to this position [head coach of the U21s and the Olympic U23s], there were some who had doubts given what he had done previously. I had confidence in him and he is proving it.

We still have one more game to go. There is still this step to take and then next year there will be the U21 Euros… Each of the steps must be taken before talking about anything else.

Although Henry's club-level managerial experience was not marked by success at AS Monaco, his spell with the French U-21 team was more fruitful, leading them to the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Former French footballer Jean-Michel Larqué also shared his disapproval of appointing Zidane via RMC.

The future coach might be Zidane; I don’t know. I would almost wager that it won’t be him,

On the other hand, another former French national footballer Christian Dugarry admitted in December 2024 that Zidane will not take any other job than the France national team.

He has already offered his services to the French national team, stating that he wants to coach them and is waiting for a response; this is no longer a secret. Who am I to speculate whether Zidane wants to go to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere? He has proposed his services to the French team, but the doors have been closed to him for many years, with them saying: 'It's impossible.'