Zinedine Zidane has signed a contract to manage the French national team until June 2030, according to widespread reports on Tuesday that were led by the transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano and quickly echoed by media across the Arab world, Italy, Israel and beyond. The French Football Federation has yet to issue an official confirmation, but the appointment of the 54-year-old is treated as a settled matter in Paris and Madrid, bringing to a close the long-running succession saga that followed Didier Deschamps’ departure after France’s semi-final exit from the World Cup.

France entered the tournament among the favourites but were eliminated 2-0 by eventual champions Spain in the last four, then lost a high-scoring third-place match 6-4 to England. Kylian Mbappé broke the all-time men’s World Cup scoring record with 22 career goals and claimed the Golden Boot with 10 strikes in the competition. Deschamps, who had led Les Bleus since 2012, oversaw the 2018 World Cup triumph, a runners-up finish in 2022 and a fourth-place result in the latest edition. The federation issued a farewell statement hailing his “quarter-century of exceptional commitment” and his role in restoring the national team’s standing.

Zidane has been out of management since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, where he won three consecutive Champions League titles and two La Liga crowns. As a player, he scored twice in the 1998 World Cup final on home soil and added a European Championship in 2000, before his career ended with the infamous headbutt in the 2006 final against Italy. French media have long reported that he was the public’s overwhelming choice to succeed Deschamps, and Italian reports now describe him already assembling a trusted staff and working on his project, having attended three World Cup matches, including the opener in which his son Luca played in goal for Algeria.

The move is part of a broader summer reshuffle of elite national-team benches. Italian outlets detail that Jürgen Klopp is poised to take over Germany after negotiating his release from Red Bull, while the Netherlands may turn to Arne Slot, Belgium to Mark van Bommel, and Uruguay has appointed Diego Forlán. Saudi Arabia, after its own World Cup disappointment, is reportedly turning to Roberto Martínez, with Jorge Jesus replacing him in Portugal. In this carousel, Zidane’s return to the French dugout is the most anticipated.

With the contract reportedly running until mid-2030, Zidane is expected to lead France into the 2027 UEFA Nations League, Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup. The official unveiling is anticipated within days, and his first match in charge is likely to be a Nations League fixture. For now, the federation’s silence has done little to dampen the sense of inevitability that has surrounded Zidane’s appointment since the moment Deschamps’ 14-year reign came to an end.