Zidane waited for France — now can he harness their star power?

Zinedine Zidane had not taken charge of a club or a national team since his second spell at Real Madrid ended in 2021. That was an unusual show of patience in the football world, especially given that Zidane's name was repeatedly linked with major clubs throughout those five years. But Zidane was waiting for one specific job everyone knew about: taking charge of the French national team.

That wait has finally paid off. The French Football Federation announced Zidane as France's new head coach, replacing Didier Deschamps. For Zidane, it means reuniting as a coach with the national team he won the 1998 World Cup with as a player and led to the final in 2006.

The squad Zidane inherits is, on paper, one of the most talented France squads in recent years. The team boasts world-renowned stars in attack and is growing deeper thanks to a rising generation of younger players. That is both a major advantage for a head coach and a challenge that is far from straightforward to manage.

As a player, Zidane was known for quiet leadership and technical mastery on the pitch; management, however, calls for an entirely different skill set. His time at Real Madrid demonstrated he was experienced at keeping a squad of major stars united and motivated — he built a team there that won the Champions League in consecutive seasons.

International football, though, operates on a different dynamic from club football. Zidane will not be in daily training contact with his players; he can only bring his squad together during international match windows. That makes building the kind of tactical cohesion possible at club level far more difficult.

One of the biggest questions facing Zidane is how he will balance the roles of the squad's star players. Fitting more than one world-class attacking talent into a coherent system has proven challenging at times for previous head coaches as well; how Zidane strikes that balance will be closely watched.

Part of Zidane's success at Real Madrid rested on giving players considerable autonomy and trusting their individual talent. Some analysts note it remains to be seen whether that approach translates to international level, since national teams have far less shared training time than clubs do.

Zidane's arrival also marks something of a generational shift in French football. The transition from the playing philosophy shaped under Deschamps to Zidane's own vision will require an adjustment period for some of the squad's key players too.

Fans and observers are watching closely to see whether the charisma and respect Zidane commanded as a player will translate into an advantage in the dugout as well. Zidane himself has said he is aware of the responsibility that comes with the job he waited so long for.

The real test for Zidane will come at the next major international tournaments. Expectations are high, and the squad is talented — but whether the respect Zidane earned as a player converts into results as a coach will only be settled on the pitch.