Thierry Henry, 1998 World Cup champion, stated in an interview with RMC on Tuesday that Zinedine Zidane “deserves” to succeed Didier Deschamps as the head coach of the French national team. Deschamps recently announced that he would step down after the 2026 World Cup.
“For a long time, everyone thought and asked for this. It would be well-deserved, very simply,” said Henry, former player for Barcelona and Arsenal, among other clubs.
Zidane, who has been without a team since leaving Real Madrid, is often cited as the top candidate to replace his former teammate in the French national team. Although he has always expressed his desire to take over the French team, Zidane has yet to clarify his intentions.
As a coach, Zinedine Zidane won three Champions League titles with Real Madrid (2015/2016, 2016/2017, 2017/2018), cementing his place as one of the most successful coaches in history.
Thierry Henry, currently without a team after leaving his position as head coach of the French Olympic team, with whom he lost the final of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games against Spain, is also considered by some as a potential successor to Deschamps.
Other candidates mentioned include Franck Haise, current coach of Nice, who has been attracting attention for his excellent work in Ligue 1.