Zinedine Zidane begins his tenure as France national team coach

On September 18, 2026, Zinedine Zidane officially began his tenure as the head coach of the French national football team. In his first public actions, the 53-year-old manager introduced significant changes to media protocols, ending the long-standing practices established by his predecessor, Didier Deschamps. Notably, the announcement of the squad was conducted without the presence of television cameras, with proceedings broadcast exclusively through official federation channels. Zidane also implemented stricter regulations regarding media access at the Clairefontaine training facility.

In his first squad announcement, Zidane signaled a major generational shift by omitting veteran players including Kante, Benzema, Thuram, and Tchouameni. The roster features five new call-ups: Restes, Diouf, Jacquet, Da Cunha, and Lepaul. Zidane stated that these exclusions are part of a broader effort to refresh the squad and evaluate younger talent. The team is scheduled to gather this coming Monday to prepare for a series of four upcoming Nations League matches, marking the start of a new era for French football.