The day France has been waiting for: date set for announcement of Zidane's appointment

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The countdown has begun.. Zidane closes in on his dream seat

Zinedine Zidane is closing in on the France job as Didier Deschamps' successor, with press reports claiming the French Football Federation are ready to confirm his appointment as coach of Les Bleus within days.

According to "L'Équipe", the federation have earmarked next Tuesday to announce the start of the Zidane era. The move follows months of talks between the two parties, with the 1998 World Cup winner set to sign a four-year contract.

Federation president Philippe Diallo has held a series of meetings with Zidane in recent weeks to finalise the sporting project and thrash out the make-up of the new coaching staff, the paper added.

The federation had hoped to stage a special ceremony to honour Deschamps after his 14-year stint with the national team, but the veteran coach showed no appetite for such a tribute, according to the report.

Deschamps ended his long spell in charge by finishing fourth at the 2026 World Cup, staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

A press conference to present Zidane should follow the official announcement, though it may come at a later date. Behind the scenes, the federation are working flat out to put the finishing touches to the unveiling.

"L'Équipe" pointed out that August will see the new backroom team take shape, with sweeping changes from the previous set-up. Some members are set to start work at the beginning of September.

Zidane will get his France reign under way during the next international break, when Les Bleus play four UEFA Nations League matches. They face Turkey on 25 September, Belgium three days later, then Italy on 2 October, before a rematch with Belgium on 5 October.

This will be Zidane's first crack at management with a national team. He earned his reputation at Real Madrid, where he lifted a host of trophies, most notably three Champions League titles on the bounce.

Plenty of offers landed on his desk after he left Madrid for a second time in 2021, yet he turned them all down. He was waiting for the France job.