Zinedine Zidane’s First Game as France Manager is SOLD OUT in Less Than 24 Hours
The match, which is expected to be Zidane’s official debut in the dugout for France, will be played at the iconic Stade de France in Paris.
France Manager Zinadine Zidane. Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
All 80,000 tickets for Zinedine Zidane’s first game as France manager against Italy at the Stade de France have been sold out in less than 24 hours, RMC Sports reports, underlining the immense excitement that has greeted his appointment as Les Bleus boss.
According to reports from French media outlet RMC Sport, the French Football Federation (FFF) opened ticket sales on Tuesday morning for the blockbuster friendly / UEFA Nations League clash against rivals Italy, and by Wednesday morning, the entire stadium was sold out. The match, which is expected to be Zidane’s official debut in the dugout for France, will be played at the iconic Stade de France in Paris.
The news comes just days after the FFF confirmed that Zidane, 53, will succeed Didier Deschamps as head coach of the French national team after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Deschamps, who led France to World Cup glory in 2018 and the final in 2022, had already announced that he will step down after a 14-year tenure.
Zidane’s appointment has sparked a wave of euphoria across France. A legend as a player who scored twice in the 1998 World Cup final to give France its first ever world title, Zizou is regarded as one of the greatest players in French history. As a manager, he won three consecutive Champions League titles with Real Madrid between 2016 and 2018, a feat never achieved in the modern era.
Fans had been dreaming of this moment for years. Social media was flooded with messages of celebration, with many calling it a “return of the king.” The demand for tickets was unprecedented, with the FFF website reportedly crashing for several minutes due to high traffic shortly after sales opened.
“It is not just a football game, it is a historic event. Everyone wants to be there to see Zidane’s first steps as coach of the Blues,” RMC Sport reported.
The choice of opponent makes the occasion even more special. France vs Italy is one of football’s classic rivalries, famously remembered for the 2006 World Cup final where Zidane was sent off in his last game as a player after headbutting Marco Materazzi. Now, 20 years later, he will begin his France managerial journey against the same opponents.
Security has also been heightened around the Stade de France, with authorities expecting a full-capacity crowd and huge crowds outside the stadium.
With 80,000 fans already guaranteed, the atmosphere is set to be electric. The FFF is also planning a special tribute to Zidane before kick-off to mark his homecoming.
Zidane’s task will be enormous – to lead a star-studded French squad featuring Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Eduardo Camavinga to glory at the 2030 World Cup. But if ticket sales are anything to go by, the entire nation is fully behind him.
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