Zinedine Zidane Takes Over as France Coach: A New Era Begins

Karim Benzema did not hesitate. Asked about the man poised to inherit the France job, he went straight to the point.

“He’s a legend, he’s the big brother.”

The words, delivered in Konbini’s “In or Out” segment, carried more than simple admiration. They echoed a decade of shared battles, trophies and late-night conversations at the Santiago Bernabeu. And they landed at a moment when French football stands on the brink of a seismic change.

Deschamps era fades, Zidane steps in

After France’s flat semifinal exit at the 2026 World Cup, the Didier Deschamps cycle is winding down at last. The French Football Federation has moved quickly. An extraordinary meeting of its executive committee has been called for Tuesday morning, followed by a press conference led by FFF president Philippe Diallo.

The federation has not yet stamped Zidane’s name on the contract in public, but all roads point in one direction. Diallo has already promised an announcement before the end of the month; Tuesday now looks like the day the worst-kept secret in French football is finally confirmed.

Barring a late twist, Zinedine Zidane will be unveiled as the new France coach. The man who defined a generation as a player and dominated Europe as a manager is about to take charge of Les Bleus.

No wonder Benzema’s eyes light up.

“Am I happy about him becoming the manager of Les Bleus? I don't know for sure if it’s him, but if it is him, yes, I am seriously happy,” he said, unable – or unwilling – to disguise his excitement about the tactical shift that would follow.

Benzema and Zidane: a bond forged in Madrid

For Benzema, Zidane is not just another coach. He is the architect of the most successful spell of the striker’s club career.

Across Zidane’s two spells in the Real Madrid dugout (2016–18 and 2019–21), Benzema became one of his most trusted lieutenants. He scored 108 goals under his compatriot, a figure eclipsed only by Cristiano Ronaldo in that era. In a side bursting with egos and talent, Zidane consistently backed Benzema, even when the French forward operated in the shadows of Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in the famed “BBC” front line.

That faith paid off. Their partnership powered Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018, an unprecedented run in the modern era. They added two LaLiga crowns, UEFA and Spanish Super Cups, and FIFA Club World Cup trophies, stacking silverware in a way that reshaped the club’s history.

The tactical understanding between the two Frenchmen was obvious. Zidane gave Benzema responsibility, freedom and trust. Benzema repaid him with movement, goals and a selfless willingness to knit the attack together. It was a relationship built on football intelligence and mutual respect.

Now that same dynamic could be about to shift from club to country.

A 38-year-old with unfinished business?

Zidane’s likely arrival naturally drags one question back into the spotlight: is this the door creaking open for a Benzema return to the national team?

On paper, the age column screams “38”. On the pitch, the numbers tell a different story. Benzema, now at Al-Hilal, remains ruthlessly efficient. Nine goals in 13 appearances this season underline a striker who still reads the box better than most and finishes with familiar cold precision. Before that, he plundered 57 goals in 87 games for Al-Ittihad, proof that his instincts have not dulled.

A recall, though, is anything but straightforward. France’s attack has changed shape since his last major tournament involvement. Kylian Mbappé now stands as the undisputed reference point. Ousmane Dembélé brings chaos and width. Around them, a new generation is muscling in: Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and others pushing their way into the conversation and demanding minutes.

Zidane will inherit a forward line rich in talent and variety, but also in competing profiles and egos. Any Benzema comeback would sit entirely in the new coach’s hands, conditioned by his vision for how France should attack and by the balance he wants between youth and experience.

What Benzema has made clear is that he would welcome that conversation.

A new chapter for Les Bleus

The end of the Deschamps era closes one of the most stable and successful chapters in France’s modern history. World Cup glory in 2018, another final in 2022, and a culture of resilience defined his tenure. Yet the semifinal disappointment in 2026, coupled with a sense that the cycle had run its course, opened the door for something different.

Zidane represents that shift. A coach who embraces big personalities because he has been one. A tactician who proved at Madrid that he can manage stars, rotate wisely and still deliver when the pressure peaks in May and June.

For players like Mbappé, this is the chance to work under a national icon who understands the weight of the shirt and the demands of winning at the very top. For veterans like Benzema, it could be a final shot at rewriting their international stories.

The stage is set for Tuesday. Cameras will roll, microphones will crowd in front of Diallo, and a nation will listen for one name.

If it is Zidane, as expected, France will not just be changing coaches. It will be turning the page into a new era, with old alliances – like that between Zidane and Benzema – suddenly back in play and ready to shape the future of Les Bleus.