Zinedine Zidane is expected to take over as France's head coach after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following the departure of Didier Deschamps after 14 years in charge.
Zinedine Zidane began his France reign unbeaten across four Nations League matches, combining encouraging results with squad experimentation while admitting his team must improve its attacking penetration and cutting edge.
Kylian Mbappe describes Zinedine Zidane becoming his France coach as "like something out of a movie," completing a remarkable journey that began with Zidane guiding him toward Real Madrid.
Zinedine Zidane's France were held to a 1-1 draw by Italy in their Nations League match at the Stade de France. Michael Olise opened the scoring for France, but Alessandro Bastoni equalised for Italy. The match also saw France reduced to 10 men late in the game. In another Group A1 fixture, Belgium secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Turkey.
Some key facts about Zinedine Zidane, who stepped down as Real Madrid coach after leading the Spanish club to a third successive Champions League title.
Former France midfielder and Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has been appointed as the new head coach of the French national football team, succeeding Didier Deschamps.
Zinedine Zidane, the 1998 World Cup hero and former Real Madrid manager, has been appointed to lead the France national team, with the primary goal of converting recent near-misses into major trophies, starting with the 2028 European Championship.
France's World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain marks the end of Didier Deschamps' 14-year reign, with Zinedine Zidane widely expected to take over and lead a new generation of gifted players towards future global titles.
France staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Belgium 4-1 in their Nations League Group A1 encounter, with substitutes playing a crucial role in the final minutes. Meanwhile, Italy secured a comfortable 3-1 victory over Turkey in the same group, maintaining their strong form. These results significantly impact the group standings, with France now leading.
Kylian Mbappe has asserted his belief that he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or this year, despite not securing any club or international silverware. The French forward highlighted his individual performances, including becoming the World Cup's all-time leading scorer, and praised new France coach Zinedine Zidane.
France secured a late 1-0 victory over Belgium in the Nations League thanks to a goal from substitute Michael Olise, marking a winning start for coach Zinedine Zidane. Meanwhile, Italy bounced back from an earlier defeat to thrash Turkey 4-1, with goals from Bastoni, Frattesi, Kayode, and Esposito. Other Nations League results saw Bosnia beat Romania and Sweden overcome Poland.
France and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has been diagnosed with a hyperextension of his left knee after being forced off during a Nations League match against Turkey. He has returned to Real Madrid for treatment and assessment, casting doubt on his immediate playing future.
Luca Zidane, son of French World Cup-winner Zinedine, said his grandfather had supported him in switching international allegiance to Algeria, after playing for France at junior level.
Didier Deschamps, who led France to their second world title in 2018 and established them as international football's most consistent major-tournament force, will be remembered for his unprecedented legacy despite recent semi-final defeats.
Rodri, Spain's midfield maestro, completed his collection of major football prizes by winning the World Cup, less than two years after a significant knee injury. Named the tournament's best player, he joins an elite group of footballers. Rodri highlighted the importance of overcoming adversity and praised his team's collective effort in their hard-fought victory against Argentina.
The new Champions League season kicked off with star performances from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, securing wins for Real Madrid and Manchester City, respectively. Jose Mourinho's Madrid overcame Inter Milan, while City defeated Porto. Other matches saw Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Aston Villa, and AEK Athens also claim victories.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final joined an exclusive list after Spain edged Argentina 1-0 in extra time. This is the ninth time a Cup final went beyond the stipulated 90 minutes,
Balogun scored his third goal of the tournament but was later sent off, becoming only the fourth player to score and receive a red card in a FIFA World Cup knockout match.
Lionel Messi earned a spot in the World Cup history books with a hat-trick that saw Argentina begin the defence of their title with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Algeria in their Group J opener at Kansas City Stadium, Missouri, on Tuesday.
French radio station RMC later on Friday said that Zidane and PSG were "close to finding an agreement", also without citing any source.
Several high-profile football players are facing injuries ahead of the World Cup, raising concerns about their participation in the tournament. Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, and other stars are among those sidelined, while the packed playing schedule is drawing criticism.
Packed with legendary players and remarkable milestones, these fascinating FIFA World Cup facts offer a glimpse into the tournament's rich history.
The end of coach Didier Deschamps' Midas-like reign turned into a Tantalus torment as France suffered a comprehensive World Cup semi-final defeat by Spain before losing 6-4 to England in a wild third-place playoff, but those disappointments will not tarnish his legacy.
After the US's win in the round of 32 fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which involved striker Flo Balogun being shown a red card and sent off after a tackle with an opponent, former US footballer Alexi Lalas questioned why Argentina superstar Lionel Messi escaped any notice
The French playmaker draws admiration from fans all over the world because of the sheer beauty of his individual skills.
French ministers, former coaches and players, intellectuals and ordinary fans hailed Zinedine Zidane's half apology.
Zidane ruled out following in the footsteps of Alex Ferguson, who spent 26 years in charge of Manchester United.
Warns against Le Pen in France election run-off
Japan v Tunisia marks 1,000th FIFA World Cup match
Zinedine Zidane said he would be willing to become Real Madrid head coach although he is not in a hurry.
Real Madrid great Zinedine Zidane has quashed speculations that he is going to replace under-fire Rafael Benitez as the team coach, saying that he is still in a learning process when it comes to coaching a senior team.
Zinedine Zidane has stepped down as Real Madrid coach with immediate effect five days after his team were pipped to the La Liga title by city rivals Atletico Madrid, the Spanish club said on Thursday.
Football idols Zidane and Ronaldo team up in UN Ebola fundraiser.
The French coach, who took over Real Madrid following Rafael Benitez's sacking in January is in the city to promote a Mumbai-based real estate brand Kanakia Group, known for its themed residences.
Zinedine Zidane will not be taking over as coach of the French national team any time soon as Didier Deschamps will remain in that job for the rest of his contract,
Zidane will come up against Guardiola for the first time as a manager when their sides meet in a blockbuster tie in the Champions League last 16 next February.
Zinedine Zidane, one of the world's greatest ever soccer players, got a new wax statue unveiled in his honour on Monday at the Musee Grevin in Paris - the French capital's equivalent of London's Madame Tussauds.
French President Jacques Chirac said Zidane is a man who represents at the same time all the most beautiful values of sport, the greatest human qualities one can imagine, and who has honoured French sport and, simply, France.
Real Madrid will sack Santiago Solari and reappoint former coach Zinedine Zidane on Monday, according to multiple Spanish media reports.
