(FILES) France's midfielder Zinedine Zidane leaves the pitch for a substitution during the friendly test match France vs. Mexico, ahead of the 2006 World Cup, at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris on May 27, 2006. Zidane has been appointed as the new head coach of France national football team at the French Football Federation headquarters (FFF) in Paris on July 28, 2026. The former France playmaker, who won the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship as a player, has long been viewed as the leading candidate for the role and has been waiting for an opportunity to take charge of the national team for several years. (Photo by PASCAL PAVANI / AFP via Getty Images)