Zinedine Zidane took charge of France for the first time in a UEFA Nations League match against Turkiye, ending a multi-year pursuit of the only coaching job he publicly wanted. The appointment fills the seat vacated by Didier Deschamps, who stepped down after eight years and a World Cup title in 2018.
Zidane turned down club roles at Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and a return to Real Madrid in the past three years while waiting for the French Football Federation to move. The 52-year-old former captain won the World Cup as a player in 1998 and managed Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018. His club record — 11 trophies in five seasons across two spells — made him the obvious successor, but Deschamps held the role through Qatar 2022 and the disappointing Euro 2024 campaign. The FFF announced Zidane's hiring in late March with a contract running through the 2026 World Cup.
The Turkiye match marks the start of France's Nations League defense. Les Bleus won the competition in 2021 under Deschamps but need a reset after exiting the Euros in the semifinals and watching their Olympic team finish fourth in Paris. Zidane inherits a squad still anchored by Kylian Mbappé, who moved to Real Madrid last summer on a free transfer, and Antoine Griezmann, now 34 and in his final international cycle. The roster includes six players from the Olympic squad who never appeared in a senior competitive match under Deschamps. Zidane called up four uncapped players for this window, including Brest midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou and Lyon forward Rayan Cherki.
The coaching change resets France's commercial strategy. Zidane's global profile — especially in Asia and the Middle East — gives sponsors a different activation platform than Deschamps offered. The FFF renegotiates its kit deal with Nike in 2025, and league sources expect Zidane's presence to lift the annual fee from €45 million toward €60 million. France's previous coaching transitions produced mixed sponsor outcomes: Laurent Blanc's hiring in 2010 coincided with a 15% bump in partnership revenue, but Raymond Domenech's post-2006 tenure saw flat growth despite reaching a World Cup final. The difference was personality and media access. Zidane rarely grants interviews but commands rooms in a way that plays on camera. His first press conference as France coach drew 220 accredited media, double Deschamps' typical turnout.
What to watch: France plays Denmark on March 24 in the second Nations League fixture, where Zidane will finalize his starting XI and confirm whether Mbappé operates centrally or wide. The FFF schedules a sponsor summit in Paris on April 8, the first major brand event since Zidane's hiring. Nike and Coca-Cola executives are expected. Adidas, which sponsors Zidane personally, is watching the Nike kit negotiations and may bid if the relationship deteriorates. France's September Nations League window includes a home match against Italy, which will test early ticket demand under Zidane's tenure.
The Turkiye match aired on ViX in the United States and TF1 in France. Viewership data won't publish until March 26, but early streaming numbers from ViX showed a 40% increase over France's final Deschamps-era Nations League match in November.
The takeaway
Zidane's France debut shifts sponsor leverage ahead of Nike's **2025** kit renewal and gives the FFF a global marketing reset.
Editorial & Disclosure Notice: This article was written with artificial intelligence from public sources and is published without individual human review. Artificial intelligence and other digital tools are also used for research, analysis, editing, formatting, and production. Errors, omissions, outdated information, or inaccuracies may occur. References to companies, brands, products, services, organizations, or individuals are for informational and editorial purposes and do not imply endorsement, sponsorship, affiliation, partnership, or approval unless expressly stated. All trademarks and other intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners. Opinions, analysis, estimates, and commentary are informational only and should not be construed as financial, investment, legal, tax, medical, procurement, or other professional advice. Information may be corrected, clarified, or updated after publication. Corrections or removal requests: jenny@pops4.com.
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