The Deschamps era is not over yet, but the Zidane era has begun ahead of schedule.

Written by Han Bing The World Cup third-place match on July 18 was Deschamps' last game in charge of the French team, but the 14-year "Deschamps era" actually concluded ahead of time. According to L'Équipe, the news is quite depressing: the French players have not moved past the loss. After rewatching the match footage that night, many players' moods worsened, some suffered from insomnia, and Mbappé's condition was particularly serious. The Real Madrid striker, like Messi, has scored eight goals, but his World Cup goal is not the Golden Boot.

A source within the French team told L'Équipe: "Do you think they want to play a third-place match? Of course not. They wanted to go further. And they are tired of this consolation game that they have to play."

Some French players have already stated that they will leave the team immediately after Saturday's match, and many will head straight to vacation spots, including Miami, the host city of the third-place game.

Deschamps and his coaching staff need to motivate the players to lift their spirits. Rotations in the starting lineup are inevitable, as many key players are not in the right mental state to compete. L'Équipe reports that Mbappé is the most downcast; he doesn't understand why Deschamps didn't implement the correct tactics in the second half against Spain. Ousmane Dembélé is another key player who is reluctant to play, deeply disappointed by his own poor performance. Barring any surprises, the French starting lineup for the third-place match will feature many new faces.

Beyond this meaningless match, French players, fans, and the media are more focused on Zinedine Zidane, who is set to take over next week. Multiple French media outlets, including Monte Carlo Radio, leaked the day after France's elimination that the French Football Federation had reached a comprehensive agreement with Zidane. The Deschamps era is not yet over, but the Zidane era is about to begin early.

It is understood that the French Football Federation hopes to officially announce Zidane's appointment immediately after the World Cup ends. On one hand, this serves as a "crisis management" move following the semifinal loss; on the other hand, it aims to have Zidane start working as soon as possible, preparing for the UEFA Nations League starting at the end of September and leading the team out of the shadows.

Zidane waited five years to coach the French national team, his dream job. During this time, he turned down offers from many top European clubs and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. Monte Carlo Radio revealed that Zidane's appointment is not just a change of head coach, but a complete overhaul of the team's selection, training, rehabilitation, and other aspects. Zidane wants to establish a new training system for the French team, and due to its unprecedented scope, his coaching staff will reach a historic size of 25 people.

Zidane hopes to add technical staff focused on players' physical condition and big data analysis, making the coaching team more specialized and high-tech. At the same time, he wants more women in the coaching staff, especially in the areas of fitness testing and big data analysis, to bring different perspectives and suggestions to the national team.

As previously hoped by French media and fans, Zidane's coaching staff will be a reunion of the "1998 World Cup champions." Confirmed so far, goalkeeper Fabien Barthez will serve as the goalkeeping coach, replacing Ravio, who held the position for 16 years. Zidane will also invite more teammates from the 1998 title-winning squad, aiming to build a championship-level coaching team and restore the team's winning mentality.

However, Zidane's appointment faces a legal issue. On July 8, a mixed committee of the French Parliament approved a new sports governance reform plan, which will be passed by the National Assembly and the Senate on July 20 or 21. The plan sets a cap on professional annual salaries for French sports associations at €450,000 before tax, a figure Zidane cannot accept. Deschamps earned €3.8 million, eight times that amount. Although the law includes exemption clauses, and Zidane is considered eligible for an exemption, the French Football Federation must convince Marie Ferrari, the Minister of Sports, Youth, and Community Life. Currently, Ferrari is avoiding the issue, making Zidane's appointment a drawn-out affair. Of course, given that France failed to reach the World Cup final, this new law should be just a minor hiccup for Zidane.

With Zidane about to take over, among the 17 teams that have changed coaches for the 2026 World Cup, five have already completed the transition: Portugal (Jorge Jesus), Mexico (Rafael Márquez), Uruguay (Diego Forlán), Croatia (Slaven Bilić), and France. Márquez and Forlán are both legends from their national teams as players, though Forlán's appointment is temporary, with his term lasting until March next year.

Additionally, Haiti's coach Jean-Michel Mié has left to immediately take over as Gabon's head coach. Meanwhile, fans are watching Germany and the Netherlands, both of which have yet to find a new manager. Brazil and England have announced that their current coaches will stay on, meaning Carlo Ancelotti and Thomas Tuchel will not leave. Among the nine Asian teams that qualified, only South Korea and Jordan have changed coaches.