Zinedine Zidane reaches verbal agreement to take France job – sources

Zinedine Zidane will succeed Didier Deschamps as France national team head coach in the summer, with a verbal agreement already reached between the former Real Madrid star and the Fédération Française de Football (FFF), sources have told ESPN.

Didier Deschamps departing from the France national team after 14 successful years has been the worst kept secret in French football and Zidane, who finished his second stint as Los Blancos manager in 2021, has been long destined for the role.

At 53, Zidane had been waiting for his fellow 1998 World Cup winner to leave in order for him to take the job.

He has had to wait longer than he first thought he would but he will officially be appointed once the 2026 World Cup is concluded for France.

– Bellingham: Injury made me ‘very sad’
– Carragher slams Arteta for picking Kepa
– Saliba withdraws from France squad with ankle injury

The last detail to iron out before he can sign his contract is over his staff and how big his team can be.

In an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro published on Sunday, the head of the FFF, Philippe Diallo admitted for the first time that he knew who Deschamp’s successor was going to be.

“I know who it is” was his answer. He didn’t reveal Zidane’s name but sources have told ESPN that it will be him.