Why Zidane’s likely arrival is good for France’s Nations League hopes

France's World Cup ended in semi-final pain against Spain, but with Zidane set to take charge, their Nations League odds suddenly seem attractive.

All odds are courtesy of US Sportsbooks, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change.

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The end of the Deschamps era

France faltered in their World Cup semi-final against Spain in Dallas. Their 2-0 defeat to Spain means Didier Deschamps’ 14-year reign as France boss ends with a whimper.

The game featured the tournament’s best attack versus the best defence. The best backline surprisingly won at a canter. France managed just 0.3 xG from their 10 goal attempts.

Whatever happens in Saturday's third-place match, Deschamps departs as the most successful manager in France's history. He leaves an incredible legacy, with a World Cup win and two World Cup Final appearances. He’s also led France to a record 20 World Cup match wins. That’s the most of any manager in the competition’s history.

However, the manner of the recent exits - outplayed rather than unlucky - suggests that this squad has reached its limit under Deschamps' practical approach.

Zinedine Zidane to rebuild Les Bleus with an eye on the 2030 World Cup

Deschamps announced before the tournament that the 2026 World Cup would be his last tournament. His successor is easily the worst-kept secret in European football at the moment. Reports suggest that Zinedine Zidane has already reached a verbal agreement with the French Football Federation.

Having allegedly turned his back on club management offers from the likes of Manchester United, Zidane is ready to take the helm of his national team.

The timing of Zidane’s arrival matters hugely from a betting perspective. France begin their 2026-27 Nations League campaign away to Turkiye in September. That’s the first fixture of their Group A1 campaign against a nation that flattered to deceive at this summer’s World Cup finals.

The FFF will be keen to have a successor in place well in advance of their Nations League campaign. Official confirmation of Zidane’s appointment could come within days of the World Cup Final.

This would give Zidane the entire Nations League group phase and potential quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals to shape a new-look team. That’s a solid runway for success, rather than an emergency fix.

France’s group is kind by League A standards. Turkey were promoted into League A last time out, but showed they lack elite qualities at the World Cup finals. Meanwhile, Italy and Belgium are in transitional periods.

Les Bleus are naturally strong favourites to top Group A1. The outright price to reach the final or go one further also seems generous for a squad with such attacking wealth.

What Zidane brings to the table - and how this affects France’s Nations League chances

Despite a brief managerial CV, Zidane’s achievements are absurdly impressive. During two spells at the helm of Real Madrid, he landed 11 trophies, including a hat-trick of successive Champions League titles. This is a feat no other manager has achieved in the modern era.

Zidane has been out of work since 2021, but purely by choice. His five-year hiatus from the game should mean Le Bleus will reap the rewards of a recharged Zizou.

Stylistically, France may seem like a different team in 12 months. Deschamps prefers to build from a solid defensive base, while Zidane favours a more fluid approach built on trust. His 4-3-1-2 and 4-3-3 systems proved unstoppable at Real Madrid.

It’s Zidane’s man management that proves equally alluring for the French Football Federation. At the Bernabeu, Zidane led a changing room of “Galacticos” that ran through brick walls for him. If he can develop a similar culture for the French national team, Les Bleus will surely be a force to be reckoned with.

Almost no one in the current French national squad has played under Zidane before. This should be considered as a positive. It means new ideas, a new philosophy and no stale manager-player relationships.

The likes of Kylian Mbappé may not have worked with Zidane before, but they have reverence for Zidane’s career. Mbappé has admitted he grew up idolising Zidane. Zizou’s potential to galvanise the next generation of French stars shouldn’t be underestimated.

Unsurprisingly, Spain are installed as early favourites to win the 2026-27 Nations League. After all, we’ve just witnessed their domination of France. Yet backing Les Bleus to win the Nations League at just 25% probability seems very low indeed.

Once Zidane is announced and the disappointment of this World Cup semi-final loss fades, this price is likely to shorten fast.