France to unveil new coach July 28 as Zidane waits in wings

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The French Football Federation (FFF) will hold a news conference on July 28 to unveil the next coach of the national team, the governing body said on Thursday.

Zinedine Zidane, although not named in the FFF statement, is the overwhelming favourite to succeed Didier Deschamps as France head coach.

Zidane, 54, has long been viewed as the leading candidate for the role and has been waiting for an opportunity to take charge of the national team for several years.

He is expected to replace Deschamps, whose tenure began in 2012 and ended on Saturday after France finished fourth at the 2026 World Cup.

Zidane has not held a coaching role since his second spell at Real Madrid ended five years ago but has never hidden his ambition to one day manage France.

He is set to follow in the footsteps of former international team-mates Laurent Blanc, who coached the national side from 2010 to 2012, and Deschamps.

The former France playmaker, who won the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship as a player, has coached only one club, Real Madrid.

During his time with the Spanish giants, he led them to three consecutive Champions League titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018, an unprecedented achievement in the competition's modern era.