Zinedine Zidane has been appointed France coach with the clear target of leading the national team at the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The move puts one of French football's most celebrated figures back at the center of the country's biggest ambitions, this time on the touchline rather than on the pitch.
Zidane's playing career remains closely tied to France's 1998 World Cup triumph, a moment that made him a national icon. He also built a lasting club legacy, including his famous winning goal for Real Madrid in a Champions League final, a strike that is still widely remembered as one of the competition's defining moments.
His story, however, has never been only about the highlights. The description of his career as the good, the bad and the ugly reflects a journey that combined brilliance, pressure and controversy, making him one of football's most compelling figures over several eras.
Now, Zidane begins a new chapter with France, where expectations will be enormous from the start. His appointment links the memory of past glory with the hope that he can deliver another World Cup success, this time as the man in charge.
