Zinédine Zidane gives the Bleus a new boost after the 2026 World Cup

France Gros, the Bleus regain a positive breath thanks to the arrival of Zinédine Zidane at the head of the French team, a change presented as essential to avoid rehashing the disappointment of the 2026 World Cup.

The former Real Madrid coach takes the reins of the national team, a decision hailed as the right move to revive the group's momentum.

A disappointing end to the campaign under Didier Deschamps

For Didier Deschamps' final campaign as manager, the conclusion was not what the Tricolors had hoped for, even though it cannot be called a failure.

The Bleus, ranked among the competition favorites, enjoyed an unbeaten run up to the semi‑final, where they lost 0‑1 to Spain.

The Bleus face the reality of the setback

Aurélien Tchouaméni, appearing on his YouTube show The Bridge, said: “For us, what was hard is that we fell from a high… After 90 minutes, you tell yourself ‘it’s over…’”.

Tchouaméni dissects France's defeat to Spain, 100 days after World Cup

He added that the defeat to the Roja remains a deep wound, highlighting Spain’s obvious superiority in that match.

The same Real Madrid midfielder compared Spain’s domination to that seen at Euro 2024, noting that opponents control their game plan from the first moment.

“The match against Spain, they dominated us, it’s a bit like Euro 2024,” he said, recalling that even the young Spanish sides play in a similar way.

Tchouaméni criticises France after its defeat to La Roja

According to Tchouaméni, the failure is both collective and individual. “We were full – and I was the first – of not playing at our best level. And at that level, you pay for it straight away.”