Zinedine Zidane has confirmed that he would like to manage the France national team one day, though he stopped short of saying whether he hopes to succeed Didier Deschamps, who is set to step down after next year’s 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Zidane, who famously scored twice in France’s 1998 World Cup final victory over Brazil, enjoyed tremendous success as a coach, leading Real Madrid to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles in his only senior managerial stint.
“I’m sure I’ll get back into coaching,” Zidane said at an event organised by Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I’m not saying it’s going to happen now. What I want one day is to coach the national team.”
The 53-year-old French legend is widely regarded as the favourite to replace Deschamps when his tenure ends.
“The most important thing is to have a passion for football and to want to pass on something to your players — what you have deep within you,” Zidane added.
“A coach plays an important role in the success of his team. In my opinion, his energy and desire determine 80 percent of whether things go well.”
Zidane’s last managerial role ended in 2021 after his second spell with Real Madrid.
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