2026 World Cup: France Isn’t Wasting Any Time—Didier Deschamps’ Replacement Is Already in Place
The end of an era is now just a matter of days away: Didier Deschamps will bring his long tenure as France’s head coach to a close on Saturday, July 18, in the third-place match of the 2026 World Cup. It will be the final match of a cycle that began in late 2012 and has profoundly shaped the recent history of Les Bleus: a World Cup victory in 2018, a Nations League title in 2021, the Euro 2016 final, the 2022 World Cup final, and three consecutive top-four finishes in the world (2018, 2022, 2026). These numbers reflect a level of consistency rarely seen in a national team.
The French Football Federation, however, doesn’t want to waste any time and is already ready to turn the page: at the final whistle of the “small final,” the countdown to the new head coach will officially begin, with a name that has been circulating for some time and now seems poised to become a reality: Zinedine Zidane.
Zizou hasn’t coached since 2021, the year his second stint at Real Madrid came to an end. Since then, he has turned down every offer other than that of the French national team: no clubs, no alternative projects—just a long, patient wait for the end of Deschamps’ contract. The French media have no doubts: his future lies on the Bleus’ bench.
Zinedine Zidane’s coaching resume speaks for itself: three Champions League titles, two Club World Cups, two Spanish league titles, two UEFA Super Cups, and two Spanish Super Cups. A record that makes him one of the most successful coaches of his generation, despite his limited time on the bench. Added to this list of trophies are all the titles Zidane won as a player while wearing the jerseys of Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid, and the French national team itself, contributing to the 1998 World Cup–2000 European Championship double.
Deschamps’ departure comes at the end of a journey that was itself extraordinary, built on solidity, the ability to manage key moments, and the capacity to keep France firmly at the pinnacle of world soccer. The semifinal loss to Spain brought full circle a journey that began fourteen years ago, when the Federation entrusted him with rebuilding a national team following turbulent years. Saturday’s match against the loser of the other semifinal will be his final game. Then, inevitably, a new chapter will begin.
