"He's a legend, he's the big brother," K. Benzema told goal.com when asked about T. Zidane's expected move into the France job. That is the strongest line around the likely handover from Didier Deschamps, because it shifts the story from federation planning to personal endorsement. With a French Football Federation press conference scheduled for Tuesday, Benzema has already made his side of it clear.
Benzema's second answer was just as direct. "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." That caveat matters in one sense: reports have not aligned perfectly on whether Zidane has already been confirmed or is still only expected to be unveiled. Still, the broad picture is obvious enough. Benzema is backing the move before the federation speaks.
Benzema and Zidane's long history
The reason his support carries weight is simple. Benzema and Zinedine Zidane go well beyond a polite former-player endorsement. They won multiple Champions League crowns together at Real Madrid, and Benzema's admiration has never sounded performative.
Calling Zidane "the big brother" lands differently when the two built that kind of success together. It also hints at something else: Benzema is not discussing an abstract coaching change at national-team level. He is talking about someone he trusts, someone who shaped one of the most successful periods of his club career.
There is a football case behind the sentiment too. Zidane won three Champions League titles in a row as Real Madrid coach, the first coach to do so. That record alone explains why his name has sat over the France job for so long whenever Deschamps' cycle looked close to ending.
Benzema's comments also reopen a familiar question without answering it. If Zidane does take charge of France, people will immediately wonder whether Benzema's relationship with the national side could shift again. His words do not promise a return, and there is no basis to present one as imminent, but they undeniably put that idea back into the conversation.
France's change of era
For all the warmth in Benzema's quotes, this is still happening because France are moving into a new phase. Their World Cup ended with a 2-0 semi-final defeat to Spain, and that result has framed the change in harsher terms than a routine succession plan.
The wider form line adds to it. France's last five results read as losses to Spain and England, with wins over Morocco, Paraguay and Sweden. Across those five World Cup matches, they scored 10 goals and conceded 12. That is not a team in collapse, but it is a team carrying obvious questions into a handover.
Spain's form sharpens the point. They came into that semi-final on five straight wins, including the victory that ended France's run. Zidane, if he is the man formally presented, would inherit talent and expectation in equal measure, but also a side that has looked less secure than its reputation suggests.
That is where Benzema's intervention becomes more than a friendly quote. France are not just replacing a coach after a long era under Deschamps. They are trying to reset the mood after a tournament exit and hand the squad to one of the few names big enough to make that transition feel natural.
Tuesday's press conference and the unresolved part
The next concrete step is already set. The French Football Federation has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday, with president Philippe Diallo expected to lead it after an executive committee meeting that morning.
Until then, the official language around Zidane's status still needs care. Some reports have treated the move as done, others have stopped short of that, and Benzema himself acknowledged the uncertainty when he said, "I don't know for sure if it's him." That makes his backing more interesting, not less. He was happy to attach his name to the prospect before the federation attached its own.
In that sense, Benzema has given the expected appointment its clearest emotional framing yet. France may present it as the start of a new cycle on Tuesday, but the loudest endorsement so far has come from a former striker who knows exactly what Zidane can mean inside a dressing room.
FAQ
Will Zinedine Zidane become the next France manager?
The appointment has not been presented as officially confirmed across all reports, but Zidane is widely expected to take over. The French Football Federation has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday, with president Philippe Diallo expected to lead it after an executive committee meeting that morning.
Why is Karim Benzema backing Zidane for the France job?
Benzema's backing is personal as well as professional. He called Zidane a "legend" and "the big brother" and said he would be "seriously happy" if he takes charge of Les Bleus. The two also shared major success together at Real Madrid, winning multiple Champions League crowns.
Could Karim Benzema return to the France national team under Zidane?
Benzema's comments reopen that conversation, but there is no confirmation of any return. What is clear is that he has publicly welcomed the prospect of Zidane taking over France, turning the coaching change into a story with an obvious personal angle.
What kind of France team would Zidane inherit?
He would inherit a side coming off a 2-0 World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain. France's last five results read as three wins followed by losses to England and Spain, and they scored 10 goals while conceding 12 across those five World Cup matches.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
