Zinedine Zidane has found himself back in the spotlight. At 53, the French icon looks closer than ever to what many believe is his destiny: stepping in for Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup. The story, first reported by L’Équipe, has already been making the rounds among former teammates and people inside the game. It feeds the idea that the next big chapter for Les Bleus will have Zidane in charge. Since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, Zizou has stayed away from club jobs, turning down approaches and keeping his focus on what he calls his ultimate goal.
The shadow of Zizou over Les Bleus
Deschamps has been in the role for more than ten years, winning trophies and reaching finals, but no job at this level lasts forever. He guided France to the World Cup title in 2018, reached another final in 2022, and built a team that’s always competitive. Still, the question keeps coming back: how much longer can he stay? That’s where Zidane enters the picture. He’s not just another big name on a list. He’s the country’s biggest modern soccer icon, a man who connects the golden memories of the past with the hopes for the future.
In the meantime, Zidane hasn’t been sitting idle. He’s been studying Ligue 1, keeping track of French players scattered across Europe, and exchanging thoughts with Laurent Blanc, his former teammate and one-time coach of the national side. It’s the kind of preparation you don’t always see, quiet but deliberate.
The anniversary party for France’s 1998 World Cup win at his Z5 complex made it obvious that the subject is no longer off-limits. During the event, old teammates teased him about one day taking over the national team. He smiled, played along, and didn’t deny it. What stood out just as much was Deschamps not being there. He was in the United States watching a club final, while back home in Marseille the main topic was already the future of Les Bleus.
What Zidane means to France?
Zidane has never been a regular coach. At Real Madrid, he won three Champions League titles in a row, something few thought possible in today’s game. As a player, he defined an entire era wearing the blue shirt. That mix of a proven track record and symbolic weight is why his presence sparks such anticipation. People aren’t expecting miracles, but there’s confidence in someone who’s lived through it all, huge wins, painful defeats, and the relentless pressure of the biggest stage.
He still carries the glow of 1998, when he became a national hero, and the prestige of rewriting history with Real Madrid as a manager. Put those together and it’s easy to see why so many consider him the natural choice to guide the French national team into its next era.