Zinedine Zidane to launch radical overhaul as he takes charge of France

Zinedine Zidane is poised to begin a sweeping revolution around the France national team as he steps in to succeed Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup.

The countdown has begun to the start of Zidane’s era as head coach of Les Bleus, bringing to an end Deschamps’ 14-year reign in charge of the national side he has led since 2012.

Deschamps is preparing for his final match at the helm in the early hours of Sunday, when France face England in the third-place play-off at the 2026 World Cup. Once that game is over, Zidane is expected to be formally installed as manager.

Although some administrative details are still being completed, the former Real Madrid coach has already mapped out a clear plan for far‐reaching change, according to French outlet Foot Mercato.

Zidane refused club jobs to chase France dream

Since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, Zidane has turned down all offers made to him at club level in order to pursue what has long been described as his ultimate ambition – to coach the French national team.

In just a few days, that ambition is set to become reality.

But beyond contractual formalities, Zidane has been preparing what French broadcaster RMC Sport describes as a “radical” sporting shake-up. He is planning to dismantle several entrenched habits that have shaped the national team’s day‐to‐day work for the past 14 years.

Central to his project is a new training and support structure which would mark a major break with the Deschamps era.

Unprecedented backroom staff to ‘leave nothing to chance’

Zidane intends to rely on an unusually large and specialised staff – potentially more than 25 people – a scale never previously seen in the history of the France team.

That expansion would represent a substantial financial commitment from the French Football Federation, but is being viewed as a statement of intent and a reflection of Zidane’s determination “not to leave anything to chance”.

The 1998 World Cup winner wants a heavily data‐driven set‐up, with a significantly reinforced performance analysis and statistics department at Clairefontaine and around the national squad.

According to RMC Sport, he aims to give far more weight to advanced metrics in scouting, match preparation and in‐game decision-making than has been the case under Deschamps.

Data, diversity and specialists at the heart of new model

Zidane, who made his name as a player with Bordeaux, Juventus and Real Madrid, is also keen to expand the role of women within his technical team, particularly in highly specialised positions.

Sports science, performance analysis, nutrition, psychology and medical support are all areas where he is understood to be open to recruiting senior female experts.

This push for diversity is designed to modernise the internal culture of the national team as much as its footballing approach, aligning France more closely with trends seen in leading club environments across Europe.

Names from the 1998 World Cup‐winning generation, including former goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, have been regularly mentioned in French media as possible additions to Zidane’s staff.

However, no appointments have yet been officially confirmed, and the final composition of his backroom team is still being worked on while Deschamps completes his final days in charge.

A break with the Deschamps era

Deschamps has delivered a World Cup title in 2018, a World Cup final in 2022 and sustained tournament consistency since taking over in 2012, building a tight‐knit core group and a relatively stable staff structure.

Zidane’s arrival signals a clear break in style and organisation, even if the footballing talent at his disposal is likely to remain the envy of most national coaches.

By seeking a larger, more specialised and more diverse support team, and by elevating performance data to the heart of decision‐making, Zidane is preparing to usher in a new, highly professionalised phase for Les Bleus once the final whistle blows on France v England at the 2026 World Cup.