Zinedine Zidane Returns as Head Coach of France National Team

Zinedine Zidane is heading back to the France national team, this time not as the elegant No 10 but as the man in charge on the touchline. The news that the 1998 World Cup winner has agreed to become head coach of Les Bleus has sent French football into overdrive, with L’Équipe reporting he will officially take over on September 1 and other outlets indicating a deal that runs through to mid-2030.

As France prepares for the Zidane era, another member of the family has taken a very different route.

Luca Zidane, the 28-year-old goalkeeper and second son of the legend, quietly stepped away from the French set-up last September to commit his international future to Algeria. While his father prepares to lead France, Luca has already worn the gloves for the North African nation at this World Cup, starting in goal despite carrying a recent chin and jaw injury that would have sidelined many.

The contrast is striking: the father returning as the face of French football, the son choosing a new flag and a new identity on the international stage.

From Madrid’s academy to Spain’s second tier

Luca Zidane’s path has never been a typical celebrity-son stroll through the game. He came through the Real Madrid youth academy, a notoriously unforgiving environment even for those without one of the sport’s most famous surnames. His professional debut arrived in 2018, when Real Madrid were coached by his father. It was a delicate moment: every minute he played would be scrutinised, every save or mistake linked back to the man in the dugout.

He made two La Liga appearances for Real Madrid as a goalkeeper before moving on in 2020. By then, it was clear he needed his own space, away from the glare of the Bernabéu and the constant comparisons. A two-year contract with Rayo Vallecano offered that chance, a step into a club where he would be judged less on his name and more on his performances.

During his final season under contract with Real Madrid, he was loaned to Racing de Santander, another important stage in his development. There, he learned the grind of regular football in a demanding environment, far from the glamour that usually surrounds the Zidane brand.

Building a career out of the spotlight

After Madrid and Rayo, Luca moved to SD Eibar in 2022, settling into Spain’s second tier. For two years, from 2022 to 2024, he worked inside a club defined by hard edges and hard work, where goalkeepers are tested weekly by the physicality and chaos of the division. It was the kind of football education that polishes resilience as much as technique.

From there, he joined Granada CF, another La Liga 2 side, continuing to carve out a career that has been more about persistence than privilege. Each stop has pushed him further from the long shadow of his father’s playing days, and closer to his own identity as a professional.

Now, with Zinedine Zidane preparing to step into the France job and Luca firmly installed as Algeria’s starting goalkeeper on the world stage, the family name stretches across two national teams, two technical areas, and two very different journeys.