Why Zinedine Zidane Faces a Tough Task Replacing Didier Deschamps as France Coach

Zinedine Zidane is expected to take charge of the France national team after the FIFA World Cup 2026, but the former Real Madrid manager could inherit one of the most demanding jobs in international football.

With Didier Deschamps set to step down after the tournament, Zidane is widely regarded as the favourite to succeed him. However, the 1998 World Cup winner will take over a France side that has evolved significantly under Deschamps and reached another World Cup semifinal.

Deschamps transformed France's tactical identity

Long known for his pragmatic, defence-first approach, Deschamps has gradually reshaped France into a more attack-minded side by reducing his reliance on defensive midfielders and maximising the country's wealth of attacking talent.

Rather than building around a midfield-heavy system, France have increasingly relied on an aggressive 4-2-3-1 formation featuring multiple forwards.

The tactical shift has allowed players such as Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola and Kylian Mbappe to feature together while maintaining balance across the pitch.

The change has coincided with another deep World Cup run, with France reaching the semifinals before being eliminated by Spain.

Zinedine Zidane must decide whether to continue or change

The biggest challenge awaiting Zidane could be whether to preserve Deschamps' successful tactical blueprint or introduce his own philosophy.

Maintaining the current system would provide continuity for one of the world's most talented squads but leave little room to stamp his own identity on the team.

A significant tactical overhaul, meanwhile, would carry obvious risks after France's recent success and could disrupt an attack built around several elite forwards.

Managing playing time and expectations among France's abundance of attacking stars is also expected to become one of Zidane's biggest tasks.

High expectations await former Real Madrid boss

Although the French Football Federation has yet to officially confirm Zidane's appointment, his arrival has long been viewed as the natural next step once Deschamps leaves.

The former France captain enjoyed enormous success at Real Madrid, winning three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles, but international football presents a different challenge, with limited preparation time and fewer opportunities to implement tactical changes.

Whoever replaces Deschamps will also inherit lofty expectations.

The outgoing manager guided France to the 2018 FIFA World Cup title, the 2022 World Cup final and another semifinal appearance in 2026, cementing his place among the country's most successful coaches.

For Zidane, the challenge will not simply be succeeding Deschamps-it will be sustaining the standards established during one of the most successful eras in French football history.