Zinedine Zidane has confirmed his ambition to one day take charge of the France national team, though he stopped short of saying whether he hopes to immediately succeed Didier Deschamps.
The 53-year-old football legend, who famously scored twice in France’s 1998 World Cup final victory over Brazil, has been out of management since leaving Real Madrid in 2021. During his time at the Spanish club, Zidane guided Los Blancos to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles — cementing his place among football’s most successful coaches.
Speaking at an event hosted by Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Zidane expressed his determination to return to the dugout.
“I’m sure I’ll get back into coaching,” he said. “I’m not saying it’s going to happen now, but what I want one day is to coach the national team.”
Zidane is widely regarded as the frontrunner to replace Deschamps, who is expected to step down following the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
“The most important thing is to have passion for football and to want to pass on something to your players — what you have deep within you,” Zidane added. “A coach has an important role in a team’s success. In my opinion, his energy and desire make up 80 percent of whether things go well.”
