Zinedine Zidane France contract length and first game as Les Bleus confirm new head coach

France have confirmed the long-awaited appointment of Zinedine Zidane as their new head coach following the departure of Didier Deschamps.

Deschamps's - France's most successful senior men's coach in history - left his role at the end of the 2026 World Cup, in which Les Bleus were consigned to a fourth-placed finish.

The World Cup-winning manager had already confirmed in January 2025 that he would be stepping down at the end of the last Mundial, regardless of the result in North America.

Zidane had been considered the front-runner for the France job for a number of years - even before Deschamps confirmed his exit - as the ex-Real Madrid boss turned down numerous other offers due to his desire to manage his country.

Now, Zidane has been officially unveiled as Les Bleus' new head coach, and French FA president Philippe Diallo has revealed that the legendary midfielder has signed a four-year contract.

Zinedine Zidane signs four-year contract as France head coach

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— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) July 28, 2026

Zidane will therefore be on the France books until the summer of 2030, meaning he will oversee Les Bleus' Euro 2028 and World Cup 2030 cycle, presuming the nation qualify for both competitions.

The 54-year-old returns to the dugout five years after ending his second stint as Real Madrid manager in 2021, prior to which he guided Los Blancos to three successive Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018.

Zidane also won two La Liga titles, two Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups and two Spanish Super Cups with Real Madrid, in total overseeing 174 match victories, 53 draws and just 36 defeats from 263 games across all tournaments.

As a player, Zidane registered 31 goals and 29 assists in 108 appearances for the France national team, becoming a world and European champion in the process.

When will Zinedine Zidane's first France game be?

Following their 6-4 defeat to England in the World Cup third-placed playoff, France will break for two months before returning to international duty in the UEFA Nations League.

Les Bleus' first game of the 2026-27 tournament - in which they will be competing in League A Group 1 - comes away to Turkey on September 25 at the Kocaeli Stadium.

Zidane's debut match precedes a trip to Brussels to face Belgium on September 28, before the 54-year-old's home debut against Italy in Saint-Denis on October 2.

Les Bleus will then discover their opponents for Euro 2028 Qualifying on December 6, and will begin their preliminary competition in either March or September 2027.

However, Zidane has already been warned that he will never match Deschamps's France legacy by a former French striker.