• Zinédine Zidane is officially appointed head coach of the French national football team.
• Zidane succeeds Didier Deschamps after his long tenure ended post-2026 World Cup.
• The FFF anticipates Zidane to begin with the Nations League and a match against Italy.
• Zidane expressed his excitement and fulfillment in taking on this dream role.
• Deschamps guided France to significant victories, including the 2018 World Cup.

Zinédine Zidane has been officially named the head coach of the French national football team, a long-anticipated move confirmed by the French Football Federation (FFF) on July 28. Zidane's appointment follows the exit of Didier Deschamps, who led the team for 14 years and retired after a disappointing fourth-place finish at the World Cup. Zidane expressed his long-held ambition for this role, stating, "I've spent these last four or five years waiting for this day," according to Le Monde and Reuters.

Zidane, aged 54, is set to start his tenure with an away UEFA Nations League match against Turkey and will host Italy at the Stade de France on October 2. His predecessor Deschamps, who concluded his coaching with a 6-4 loss to England, had overseen 185 matches, achieving 120 wins and bringing home the 2018 World Cup trophy. The rich history between these two former teammates adds a personal layer to Zidane's exciting new undertaking, noted Al Jazeera and Le Monde.

This prestigious role carries significant expectations, as Zidane aims to fulfill his destiny as the leader of a national team he is deeply connected to. His prior experiences and notable achievements as a player and coach give him a unique perspective as he embarks on this new chapter, further emphasized by his comment that "this is a continuation and, in some ways, a dream," according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.