This is no longer a secret. Didier Deschamps will leave the French national team at the end of the 2026 World Cup, which is being held next summer in the United States, Mexico and Canada (11 June 2026 – 19 July 2026). Nothing is official yet, but there is no doubt about the name of his successor: Zinedine Zidane.
It remains to be seen when the announcement of the current Blues coach’s heir apparent will be made. Asked by L’Équipe about this, French football federation (FFF) president Philippe Diallo emphasized that he did not want to “include elements that could disrupt the French team’s preparations”.
“I will discuss it both with Didier and with my colleagues at Comex,” he explained. To announce a new coach, there are ultimately only two windows. Either at the end of the World Cup, or a window slightly earlier and quite far from the final phase of the World Cup. »
Zidane’s Arrival, Not “False Tension”
Having long been determined to wait for the results of the World Cup, the director of “3F” does not rule out the possibility of inaugurating the future coach of the French team even before the start of the Americas World Cup. “One option is the end of the first quarter of 2026, around March-April, so that it is quite far from the final stage,” he explained. I don’t want any distractions. »
Asked about Zinedine Zidane’s arrival, the Saint-Nazaire native insisted that it was not “false tension. It’s just respect for the existing team, Didier and his staff have been there for fourteen years. I don’t want to introduce elements that could disrupt the French team’s preparations.”
Philippe Diallo took advantage of this Friday evening to announce the return of the Blues to the Stade de France for the next 30 years after securing an agreement between the FFF and GL Events, manager of the Dionysian venue. The president of French soccer’s parent body also raised the possibility of a tour of the United States in March, with two friendlies for the French team against Colombia in Miami and Brazil in Boston.
