Karim Benzema Backs Zinedine Zidane for France Manager

Karim Benzema does not hesitate.

With France on the brink of a historic change in the dugout, the veteran striker has thrown his full weight behind one man: Zinedine Zidane.

Speaking to Konbini in their "In or Out" segment, Benzema’s answer came with the kind of clarity that leaves no room for doubt.

"He’s a legend, he’s the big brother," he said, drawing a straight line back to the bond they built at Real Madrid, where they collected Champions League titles with almost casual regularity at the Santiago Bernabeu. On the prospect of Zidane taking over Les Bleus, Benzema added: "Am I happy about him becoming the manager of Les Bleus? I don't know for sure if it’s him, but if it is him, yes, I am seriously happy."

France stands at a crossroads. The Deschamps era, which has defined the national team for more than a decade, is winding down after a flat semifinal exit at the 2026 World Cup. The French Football Federation is now moving to close a chapter and open another, with Zidane overwhelmingly expected to be the man turning the page.

Zidane’s moment arrives

The long wait is almost over. The FFF has announced a press conference for Tuesday, led by president Philippe Diallo, following an extraordinary meeting of the federation’s executive committee that same morning. Officially, nothing is signed off yet. Unofficially, everything points in one direction.

Barring a late twist, Diallo will step up to the podium and present Zidane as Didier Deschamps’ successor. The federation has not yet stamped the appointment in black and white, but Diallo has already promised an announcement before the end of the month. Tuesday’s press conference looks set to cash that promise.

For France, it would be more than a routine change of coach. Zidane is not just another name on a shortlist. He is the World Cup winner, the icon, the coach who turned Real Madrid into a modern European dynasty. His arrival would instantly reset expectations and reshape the conversation around the national team.

And it would inevitably drag one question back into the spotlight: what about Benzema?

Benzema and Zidane: a bond forged in Madrid

Benzema is 38 now, but he is not easing his way into retirement. At Al-Hilal, he remains what he has always been: a ruthless finisher with numbers to prove it. Nine goals in 13 appearances this season underline a player whose penalty-box instincts have not dulled. Before that, at Al-Ittihad, he racked up 57 goals in 87 matches, an output that would flatter many forwards in their supposed prime.

Those statistics matter because of the man likely walking into Clairefontaine. Under Zidane at Real Madrid, Benzema became one of the most trusted weapons in an attack built for trophies, not aesthetics alone. Across Zidane’s two spells in charge (2016–18 and 2019–21), Benzema scored 108 goals, a total bettered only by Cristiano Ronaldo in that squad.

He did it while often operating in the shadows of others. Ronaldo grabbed the headlines, Gareth Bale provided the explosiveness, but Benzema stitched the whole thing together. His understanding with Zidane on the touchline – subtle adjustments, silent nods, a shared vision of how attacks should breathe – powered some of the most devastating offensive runs of that era. It was the heartbeat of the famed "BBC" frontline, even when Benzema’s role looked selfless from the outside.

Zidane’s record from that time needs no embellishment. Three consecutive Champions League titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Two LaLiga crowns. UEFA Super Cups, Spanish Super Cups, FIFA Club World Cups. Two separate stints at the Bernabeu, one unshakeable legacy.

That history now hangs over the French national team like a promise.

A new France, a familiar face?

If Zidane does walk into the job, the natural temptation will be to imagine a reunion. Benzema, back in blue under the coach who got the very best out of him. The story writes itself.

Reality is more complicated.

France’s attack has already started to move into a new era. Kylian Mbappe stands at the centre of it, the undisputed star and captain-in-waiting of any Zidane project. Ousmane Dembele remains a key part of the wide options. Around them, a new generation is pushing through: Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and others who bring freshness, pace and a different profile to the front line.

Any Benzema return would hinge entirely on Zidane’s vision. Does he see space for an experienced finisher to guide and complement this young, evolving attack? Or does he choose to accelerate the generational handover and leave the past – however glorious – where it is?

Benzema, for now, can only wait and watch. His numbers in Saudi Arabia prove he still has the tools. His words show the affection and trust he holds for Zidane. The rest will be decided in the quiet of Zidane’s first squad meetings, not in nostalgic highlight reels.

What is clear is this: France is on the verge of placing its future in the hands of a man who has already conquered Europe from the dugout. Benzema has nailed his colours to that mast.

On Tuesday, the FFF is expected to do the same.