‘We all know who will be the next manager’ -Thierry Henry on Didier Deschamps’ successor | OneFootball

It’s not officially known who will succeed Didier Deschamps as French coach, but one of his former teammates thinks it’s pretty obvious.

Zinédine Zidane has been the favourite to step into the shoes of the former World Cup-winning captain and current manager of Les Bleus at the conclusion of the 2026 finals, when Deschamps has confirmed he will step down. Thierry Henry is another name that’s been mentioned as a potential replacement, and the former Arsenal striker was asked at a UEFA Champions League press conference on Tuesday if he intended to apply for the opening.

“I don’t know what to say,” Henry began. The World Cup and Euro champion then added, “We all know who will be the new coach. You know it, and I know it. And I wish him the best.”

While he didn’t mention Zidane, the speculation is that Zizou will get the job if he wants it. The former Real Madrid manager, who guided them to three consecutive Champions League crowns, hasn’t coached since 2021. He’s been approached to take charge of the United States men’s national team but declined. Zizou was also reportedly in the mix to manage Spain after Luis Enrique left at the end of the 2022 finals.

Henry was in charge of the French under-21 squad, which claimed a silver medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024. The third-highest goalscorer with Les Bleus (51 goals) served as an assistant to Roberto Martinez when Belgium finished third at the 2018 World Cup, the best-ever finish for the nation. Henry has a winning percentage of below 40% as a manager (37.88%) with brief stints at AS Monaco and the Montreal Impact.

During his time at Real Madrid, Zidane set a record for the fewest defeats after 100 matches for a manager in Spanish football (eight). He also holds the longest unbeaten run in Real Madrid history at 40 matches.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre