Ousmane Dembele has thrown his support behind the prospect of Zinedine Zidane becoming France’s next head coach, saying the former Real Madrid manager would be the ideal successor to Didier Deschamps when the veteran coach steps down after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking ahead of France’s opening World Cup match, Dembele said he and his teammates would welcome Zidane if the former World Cup-winning midfielder eventually takes charge of Les Bleus.
“We hope to welcome him one day to the France bench,” Dembele said, as quoted by the BBC on Saturday. “I’m sure he would do a fantastic job.”
Despite backing Zidane, Dembele also paid tribute to Deschamps, who has guided France through one of the most successful periods in the national team’s history. The winger described the current coach as one of the country’s greatest football figures.
“He is an exceptional coach,” Dembele said. “He will forever remain a legend among France national team coaches.”
Deschamps led France to the 2018 World Cup title in Russia before taking the team to another final in Qatar four years later. Dembele played a significant role in both campaigns and has remained one of the key figures under Deschamps throughout the current World Cup cycle.
Speculation surrounding Zidane’s future has intensified since Deschamps confirmed earlier this year that he would leave his position after the 2026 tournament. Zidane has long been viewed as the leading candidate to inherit one of the most prestigious coaching jobs in international football.
The former France captain has not coached since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, where he won three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles and established himself as one of Europe’s most decorated managers.
In an interview in October 2025, Zidane acknowledged his desire to return to coaching and admitted that managing France remained one of his long-term ambitions.
“I will definitely coach again. I don’t know what the future holds,” Zidane said at the time. “I feel I can do something with the France national team. That’s something I would like to do one day.”
However, Zidane avoided discussing the possibility in greater detail while Deschamps remained in charge, insisting it would be inappropriate to speculate publicly about the position.
Reports in recent months have suggested Zidane has already reached a verbal agreement to succeed Deschamps after the World Cup. In March, French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo indicated Zidane had emerged as the preferred candidate after reportedly being considered alongside several other applicants.
Neither Zidane nor the federation has officially confirmed any appointment, but expectations continue to grow that the former playmaker will begin a new chapter with the national team once Deschamps’ tenure comes to an end.
Meanwhile, Deschamps has made it clear that he does not intend to retire from coaching after leaving France. The 57-year-old has recently been linked with several high-profile vacancies, including reports connecting him with Italy following the Azzurri’s failure to qualify for this year’s World Cup.
Although Deschamps declined to comment directly on those rumors, he acknowledged that he remains open to continuing his managerial career.
“That is not relevant today. The most important thing is the World Cup,” Deschamps told Football Italia in May. “But I am ready. Everybody knows that, including you. We’ll see what happens later.”
For now, France’s focus remains firmly on the World Cup, where Dembele, Kylian Mbappe and the rest of the squad will attempt to deliver another deep run before a new era is expected to begin on the sidelines.
