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See the full story · 5 sourcesZinedine Zidane tactics, style of play: How new France coach can fix Les Bleus' biggest weakness originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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After the planned departure of long-tenured head coach Didier Deschamps after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the France national team will enter a new era as Bleus hero Zinedine Zidane takes over.
The French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed the appointment of Zidane in late July, set to lead the team for at least the next four years.
It has been a poorly kept secret for years that after a three-year spell at Real Madrid , where he won the Champions League title all three times, Zidane was waiting for this very position to become open. He confirmed at his first press conference that he turned down multiple job offers in the hopes of being named national team boss.
The Sporting News details how Zinedine Zidane might play with the French national team, what his biggest hurdle will be, and how much he will make during his time in charge.
MORE: FIFA confirmed it will sell shares of the World Cup to investors
Zinedine Zidane tactics, style of play
Zinedine Zidane has only held one previous managerial job, with one club and one roster of players, meaning it's not entirely clear what his full tactical profile is or how versatile he can be.
However, what we do know from Zidane's time at Real Madrid can still shape how we think France will look under the former national team superstar.
At Real Madrid, Zidane deployed a traditional 4-3-3, with three central midfielders focused on creating numerical superiority. He also preferred a No. 9 like Cristiano Ronaldo , who often dropped deep in possession to help create an advantage in the middle of the pitch.
That doesn't exactly fit with the current France national team talent makeup, so either Zidane will have to make adjustments to his tactical style to fit the current squad or make some significant changes to the players within the team.
"Zidane's playing system isn't a fixed model," AS journalist Carlos Forjanes told RMC Sport . "He adapted to the players he had [at Real Madrid]."
To excel at Real Madrid, tactics cannot be the primary focus for a manager. Instead, most successful Real Madrid coaches over the last few decades have focused on basic tactical instructions while allowing the players freedom to express themselves and let their talent take over. Much of his tactical approach will likely revolve around the opponent. MORE: Mbappe, Messi and the rest of the top goal scores in the history of the World Cup
How Zidane can fix France's biggest weakness
As was on full display at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, France have one of the world's best attacking units and also a defensive line as good as any national team around the globe.
Their biggest weakness, by far, is in midfield, where only Aurelien Tchouameni stands out as a world-class option in the middle of the pitch. N'Golo Kante was once one of the world's best defensive midfielders, but at 35 years old, is no longer a viable option. Adrien Rabiot is 31 and struggled at the World Cup, while 20-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery has not yet developed into a world-class option.
Zidane, arguably one of the greatest midfielders ever to grace football, could be a genuinely positive influence on the federation's midfield talent. However, being part of a national team setup often does not afford the coaching staff time with players to develop their talent on a short-term or individual basis, usually flexing their influence instead on the federation's youth development systems.
Instead, Zidane could use his midfield expertise to create a tactical system that minimizes the federation's lack of top-tier talent in the middle of the pitch, or to identify talent or skill sets that were under-utilised during the Didier Deschamps Era.
There's no magic bullet here. MORE: Exactly how fast is Kylian Mbappe?
Zinedine Zidane contract details
According to reports from L'Equipe and RMC Sport in France, Zinedine Zidane has signed a four-year contract with the French national team, which ends at the conclusion of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Zidane will reportedly earn around €3.6 million per year, which can rise to €5.4 million with incentives.
Despite a recently-signed French law which caps national team employee salaries at €450,000 annually, Zidane is able to make more than that because he reportedly has an exemption from the country's ministry of sport, as is provisioned in the bill.
When will Zinedine Zidane debut with France?
Per his contract with France, Zidane will officially begin as national team coach on August 1, 2026.
His first game in charge will be against Turkey as Les Bleus begin their 2026/27 UEFA Nations League slate on September 25 in Izmit, Turkey.
After that, France have another road game against Belgium on September 28 before Zidane makes his home debut against Italy on October 2 at Stade de France outside Paris.
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