What’s Next For France Once Didier Deschamps Steps Down?

Spain advanced to the 2026 World Cup final after defeating France, 2-0, in the semifinals on Tuesday, ending the French bid for another title and setting up the final match of manager Didier Deschamps’ tenure. Prior to the start of the World Cup, Deschamps announced his plans to step down as France’s manager afterward. France will now move on to the third-place match on Saturday against either England or Argentina, which will serve as Deschamps’ final match in charge of the French national team. Deschamps took over the French national team in 2012, leading the country through its most consistent era of modern success. Under his leadership, France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2021 UEFA Nations League, while also reaching the finals of Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup. Over Deschamps’ career, he has 20 victories at the World Cup and 10 at the knockout stage, both the most of any manager in the history of the tournament. His departure after the upcoming third-place match will conclude a 14-year reign as head coach. According to ESPN, Zinedine Zidane will succeed Deschamps as the France national team head coach this summer. A verbal agreement has already been reached between the former Real Madrid manager and the French Football Federation (FFF). The final details of the contract are yet to be finalized. This succession follows comments from FFF president Philippe Diallo, who told French newspaper Le Figaro that he already knew who Deschamps’ successor would be, though he declined to name Zidane publicly at the time. Zidane previously coached Real Madrid Castilla from 2014-2016 before coaching the first team from 2016-2018 and again from 2019-2021.