France set date for Zidane unveiling and resumption as head coach

France are set to usher in a new era after the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed it will hold a press conference on July 28 to unveil the next head coach, with Zinedine Zidane widely expected to succeed Didier Deschamps.

The legendary former midfielder is poised to finally take charge of Les Bleus after years of speculation, following France's disappointing fourth-place finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The FFF announced on Thursday that it will reveal the identity of France's next manager during a media event on July 28.

Although the federation did not mention Zidane by name, the 54-year-old is the overwhelming favourite to replace Deschamps, whose 14-year reign officially came to an end after the World Cup.

Deschamps guided France to the semi-finals in North America after topping their group and defeating Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco in the knockout rounds.

However, Les Bleus fell to eventual champions Spain in the last four before suffering a dramatic 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff, bringing one of the most successful managerial spells in French football history to a close.

Zidane has been heavily linked with the France job for several years and has never hidden his desire to one day coach the national team.

The former Real Madrid manager has been out of coaching since leaving the Spanish giants five years ago, where he established himself as one of football's most successful managers.

During his time at the Santiago Bernabéu, Zidane led Madrid to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, a feat unmatched in the competition's modern era.

As a player, he remains one of France's greatest-ever icons, inspiring Les Bleus to their maiden FIFA World Cup triumph in 1998 before helping them lift the UEFA European Championship two years later.

If confirmed on July 28, Zidane will begin a new chapter with the national team he once captained, taking over a talented squad led by Kylian Mbappé as France begin preparations for the 2028 European Championship and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.