The date is now set. Zinedine Zidane will unveil his first squad list since his appointment as manager of the French national team on Thursday, September 17, 2026. This highly anticipated event will reveal the former Real Madrid coach's initial selections and officially launch his tenure at the helm of Les Bleus. Officially appointed on July 28 to succeed Didier Deschamps , Zidane was chosen by the French Football Federation to lead the national team until the 2030 World Cup. The former number 10 of Les Bleus becomes the 18th manager of the French national team since the introduction of a single manager in 1964.
First list on September 17th, rally four days later
Zinedine Zidane will therefore have to unveil his first selections on September 17, before meeting with his players at Clairefontaine from September 21. Just eight days will separate the squad announcement from his first match in charge. This first call-up will be particularly scrutinized after fourteen years during which Didier Deschamps shaped the French national team. Zidane will notably have to determine which key players from the previous era will remain central to his project and which new players will get their chance. For the time being, no names have been officially announced. The new manager will take up his duties with an immediately busy schedule: four Nations League matches in just eleven days, including two away games followed by two consecutive matches at the Stade de France.
Zidane will start on the bench for Les Bleus in Türkiye
Zinédine Zidane's first match as manager of the French national team will take place on Friday, September 25th in Turkey. Les Bleus will then travel to Belgium, to Brussels, on September 28th. Zidane will therefore have to wait until his third match to manage the French team in front of a home crowd for the first time. This match will be particularly significant: France vs. Italy, on October 2nd at the Stade de France. Three days later, on October 5th, Les Bleus will host Belgium again in Saint-Denis. France will thus play four matches during this first international break of the Zidane era, before the final two Nations League matches scheduled for November.
A new era after 14 years with Didier Deschamps
The appointment of Zinedine Zidane marks a significant change at the helm of the French national team. Didier Deschamps had held the position since July 2012 and notably led Les Bleus to the World Cup title in 2018. Zidane, for his part, returns to a national team for which he was one of the most iconic players. A World Cup winner in 1998 and a European champion in 2000, he earned 108 caps for France. He played his last international match in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy. His coaching career has thus far been spent at Real Madrid, with whom he notably won three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018. He had not held a head coaching position since leaving the Madrid club in May 2021.
All eyes are on September 17th
Even before his first match, Zidane's first real sporting challenge will be the announcement on September 17th. Every decision will be scrutinized: retaining key players, potential returns, first call-ups, and the role given to players who have distinguished themselves at the start of the season. This list will primarily reveal the first concrete outline of the French national team under Zidane. The selected players will then have four days to travel to Clairefontaine and prepare for a particularly demanding start to his tenure.
