France has formally named Zinedine Zidane as the brand new supervisor of its nationwide workforce.
The Les Bleus legend will exchange Didier Deschamps after the previous supervisor completed the 2026 World Cup in fourth place.
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Philippe Diallo, the president of the French Soccer Federation, held a press convention on Tuesday, July 28 introducing the brand new boss. Diallo thanked Deschamps for his work because the longest-tenured supervisor in France’s historical past. He additionally congratulated the brand new head coach, who scored two targets in France’s 1998 World Cup remaining win during which Deschamps was his teammate.
France shared the information on its social media accounts with a graphic that includes a photograph of Zidane, 54, carrying a go well with and his identify in white textual content beneath the nationwide workforce’s rooster brand.
The midfielder, also referred to as Zizou, scored 31 targets in his time as a participant for France. He received the 1998 Ballon d’Or as that 12 months’s finest participant to go together with the World Cup win after which led France to a victory on the 2000 European Championship. He signed with Actual Madrid in 2001 and received the 2002 Champions League earlier than retiring after the 2006 World Cup, during which France misplaced to Italy within the remaining in penalties after Zidane acquired a purple card.
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Zidane final held a training place at Actual Madrid. He received three straight UEFA Champions League titles from 2015 to 2018 and is the one supervisor to perform the feat. He left his management position with the membership twice, as soon as in 2018 after which with finality in 2021.
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Images reveal unforgettable World Cup motion and emotion
US ahead #20 Folarin Balogun (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring his workforce’s third purpose throughout the 2026 World Cup Group D soccer match between USA and Paraguay on the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026.
(PATRICK T. FALLON, AFP through Getty Pictures)
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Images reveal unforgettable World Cup motion and emotion
US ahead #20 Folarin Balogun (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring his workforce’s third purpose throughout the 2026 World Cup Group D soccer match between USA and Paraguay on the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026.
(PATRICK T. FALLON, AFP through Getty Pictures)
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Images reveal unforgettable World Cup motion and emotion
Folarin Balogun #20 of the US scores his workforce’s third purpose throughout the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles.
(Richard Heathcote, Getty Pictures)
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Images reveal unforgettable World Cup motion and emotion
Cesar Samudio #12 of Panama fails to save lots of a shot from Giovanni Reyna #7 of the US as he scores his workforce’s fourth purpose throughout the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles.
(Jamie Squire, Getty Pictures)
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Images reveal unforgettable World Cup motion and emotion
US midfielder #07 Giovanni Reyna (R) scores his workforce’s fourth purpose throughout the 2026 World Cup Group D soccer match between USA and Paraguay on the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026.
(VALERIE MACON, AFP through Getty Pictures)
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Images reveal unforgettable World Cup motion and emotion
US gamers have a good time the fourth purpose by midfielder #07 Giovanni Reyna throughout the 2026 World Cup Group D soccer match between USA and Paraguay on the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026.
(VALERIE MACON, AFP through Getty Pictures)
Zidane inherits a gifted France workforce which received the 2018 World Cup and was within the remaining for the 2022 version, during which they misplaced in penalties to Argentina. This summer season, Les Bleus misplaced the third-place match to England in a chaotic 10-goal frenzy. Kylian Mbappé scored 10 targets within the event and was the primary participant to win back-to-back Golden Boot trophies. He additionally holds the document for many all-time World Cup targets with 22. Ousmane Dembélé, who received the 2025 Ballon d’Or, added six targets. Michael Olise handed Pelé for the document of most assists in a World Cup.
Mbappé penned a heartfelt farewell to Deschamps forward of his remaining match.
“To place into phrases all that you’ve introduced us for the previous 14 years may be very tough,” the star striker wrote in French. “… Thanks for giving me the prospect and alternative to characterize my nation on the largest stage for therefore a few years. I really feel privileged to have been in a position to be at your facet for one of many best legends of our nation, and I’ll have solely the most effective recollections of all that we’ve got lived and achieved collectively.”
