Karim Benzema's Future with Zidane as France Coach
Karim Benzema did not bother with diplomacy.
Asked in Konbini’s “In or Out” segment about Zinedine Zidane taking over France, the veteran striker went straight to the heart of it.
“He’s a legend, he’s the big brother,” Benzema said, the words carrying the weight of nights at the Santiago Bernabeu and three straight Champions League titles. “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.”
In a country still processing a flat semifinal exit at the 2026 World Cup, that kind of endorsement lands with force. The Didier Deschamps era, long and decorated, is edging towards its conclusion. The French Football Federation has called a press conference for Tuesday, with president Philippe Diallo fronting the room after an extraordinary executive committee meeting in the morning.
No official confirmation yet. No contract waved in front of the cameras. But all roads point in one direction: Zidane, finally, at the helm of Les Bleus.
Benzema and Zidane, reunited?
If Zidane does step into the role everyone expects him to, one question will follow him into that first press conference: what about Benzema?
At 38, most international careers are a memory. Benzema’s is a debate. The numbers refuse to let it go. Now at Al-Hilal, he has nine goals in 13 appearances this season, still punishing defenders, still finding angles others don’t see. Before that, he plundered 57 goals in 87 games for Al-Ittihad, a continuation of the ruthless streak that defined his late years in Madrid.
Zidane knows that version of Benzema better than anyone. During their two spells together at Real Madrid (2016–18 and 2019–21), the Frenchman became one of his manager’s most trusted weapons. Across those years, he scored 108 goals under Zidane, a figure only Cristiano Ronaldo could top in that squad.
It was not just the numbers. It was the understanding. Zidane gave Benzema responsibility, freedom, and a central role in the machinery of one of Europe’s great modern teams. Even when he shared the pitch with Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in the famed “BBC” forward line, Benzema often sacrificed his own scoring totals to knit everything together. Zidane saw that, valued it, and built around it.
That partnership delivered history: three consecutive Champions League titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018, two LaLiga crowns, a stack of UEFA and Spanish Super Cups, and FIFA Club World Cup trophies. Zidane’s Madrid did not just win; it dominated an era, and Benzema stood at the heart of it.
So if Zidane now takes charge of France, the temptation to imagine one last chapter between the two is inevitable.
A new France, a familiar debate
Yet this is not the same France Benzema left behind. The attack has shifted, and quickly.
Kylian Mbappé leads the line as the undisputed star. Ousmane Dembélé offers chaos and width. Around them, a new generation is pushing through: Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and others reshaping the profile of the frontline. The squad is younger, more fluid, built for the next cycle rather than the last one.
Any talk of a Benzema return runs straight into that reality. It would be Zidane’s call, and Zidane’s alone. He would have to weigh sentiment against structure, loyalty against the long-term plan. Does he reopen the door for a 38-year-old he trusts implicitly, or does he double down on the evolution already under way?
Benzema, for now, keeps his stance simple: admiration for Zidane, excitement at the possibility, no public demands. His comments to Konbini sounded more like a younger brother proud of the elder’s promotion than a veteran angling for one last tournament.
A historic handover
Inside the French Football Federation, the mood has shifted from speculation to preparation. Diallo has already promised that an announcement on Deschamps’ successor would arrive before the end of the month. Tuesday’s press conference has the feel of a curtain-raiser rather than a brainstorming session.
Barring a late twist, Zidane will walk out as the new France coach, the man asked to turn a golden generation’s near-misses into something more permanent. He inherits a squad rich in talent, scarred by recent disappointment, and hungry for a new voice.
He will also inherit the Benzema question, whether he likes it or not.
Does he write one last page with his “big brother” on the pitch, or does he leave their story where it already sits — complete, gilded, and untouchable in Madrid’s history?
