Zinedine Zidane has confirmed that he hopes to coach the France national team one day, though he stopped short of saying whether he intends to succeed Didier Deschamps, who is expected to step down after next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The 53-year-old French legend, who scored twice in France’s 1998 World Cup final victory over Brazil, enjoyed immense success as a manager at Real Madrid, leading the club to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles during his tenure.

“I’m sure I’ll return to coaching,” Zidane said during an event organised by Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I’m not saying it will happen now, but one day, I’d like to coach the national team.”

Zidane, widely regarded as the frontrunner to replace Deschamps, last managed Real Madrid during his second spell, which ended in 2021.

“The most important thing is to have passion for football and a desire to share what you carry inside with your players,” he added. “A coach’s energy and motivation are crucial — they account for 80 percent of a team’s success, in my opinion.”