Zinédine Zidane named coach of the France team: when will his first matches with the Blues take place?

Appointed coach of the French team this Tuesday 28th July 2026, Zinédine Zidane will take office on August 1st. His first matches are scheduled for September.

It’s now official. Zinédine Zidane is the new coach of the France team masculine. The French Football Federation (FFF) announced his appointment on Tuesday July 28, 2026, following an executive committee meeting in the morning. The former number 10 of the Blues succeeds Didier Deschamps and has signed up for four years, until the 2030 World Cup.

Zinédine Zidane will officially become coach on August 1. He is the 18th man to hold this position since Henri Guérin in 1964. Its first gathering will arrive quickly since the Blues will resume competition in September, as part of the 2026-2027 Nations League.

There is nothing bigger than the French team. It is a joy, a great pride. I have a lot of ambition for the France team.
Zinédine Zidane – New coach of the France team

A first match in Türkiye on the 25th September

For her debut on the bench of the France team, Zinédine Zidane will have to wait until the 25th September 2026. The Blues will then travel to Turkey for their first Nations League meeting. Three days later, on September 28, they will be outside again, this time in Belgium.

The new coach will then discover the Stade de France in its new functions. France will host Italy in Saint-Denis on the 2nd October, before facing Belgium there on the 15th October. Two new meetings are scheduled for November: a trip to Italy on the 12th November, then the reception of Turkey in Bordeaux on the 15th November.

France will play in Group A1 of the Nations League with Italy, Belgium and Turkey. In the event of qualification, the quarter-finals of the competition will take place between March 25th and 30th, 2027.

Euro 2028 then the 2030 World Cup in the crosshairs

This first campaign will open a four-year cycle for Zinédine Zidane. After the 2026-2027 Nations League, he will lead the Blues in qualifying for Euro 2028, then during the 2028-2029 Nations League and the 2030 World Cup qualifiers.

The Euro 2028 qualifying draw is scheduled for the 6th December 2026 in Belfast. The round-trip matches will be played between March and November 2027. Zinédine Zidane must also announce the composition of his staff at the beginning of September.

The first matches planned:

September 5, 2026 : Türkiye – France (Kocaeli Stadium, Izmit)
September 28, 2026 : Belgium – France (King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels)
October 2, 2026 : France – Italy (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
October 5, 2026 : France – Belgium (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
November 12, 2026 : Italy – France (Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Milan)
November 15, 2026 : France – Türkiye (Bordeaux)
March 25 to 30, 2027 : quarter-finals of the Nations League (if the Blues qualify)
December 6, 2026 : Euro 2028 qualifying draw in Belfast
From March to November 2027 : Euro 2028 qualifying home-and-away matches