Thierry Henry: The Next Coach for France?
Thierry Henry has already had a taste of the big chair with France. At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, he led the host nation all the way to a final against Spain, only to watch extra-time rip the gold from their grasp. Silver medals for Michael Olise and the rest. A proud run, but one that ended with that familiar sting.
Since hanging up his boots, Henry’s coaching journey has been anything but linear. A short, testing spell in charge at Monaco. A return to MLS with Montreal Impact. Time spent in the inner circle of an elite national side, working alongside Roberto Martinez with Belgium. Different roles, different pressures, the same obsessive eye for detail.
Right now, at 48, he is back in the pundit’s chair, weighing in from the studio rather than the technical area. He is not throwing himself at the first job that comes along. He is waiting. Listening. The right offer, though, will always make him sit up.
And there is one job that will always glint a little brighter than the rest.
Zidane steps in, Deschamps steps away
Taking charge of France is a calling, not just a contract. For Henry, it would also be a continuation of a remarkable line. Two of his fellow 1998 World Cup winners have already walked that path.
Didier Deschamps is stepping away after 14 years that reshaped the modern history of Les Bleus: a World Cup triumph in 2018, UEFA Nations League success, and a near-permanent presence in the business end of major tournaments. Semi-finals. Finals. Always there or thereabouts.
Now comes Zinedine Zidane. Ballon d’Or winner. Serial Champions League conqueror with Real Madrid. This will be his first job outside the Bernabeu, but the expectation is unchanged: trophies, and plenty of them. He inherits a squad loaded with talent – Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and a conveyor belt of emerging stars that most coaches can only dream about.
The bar is not just high. It has been set by men he once shared a dressing room with.
“Why not Henry?”
So what happens when Zidane’s time eventually runs its course? Could the class of ’98 pass the baton again?
Jeremie Aliadiere, another member of that golden Arsenal “Invincibles” side, can picture it clearly. Speaking to GOAL in association with ToonieBet, he did not hesitate when asked if Henry could be the next man up.
“Why not? I'm sure Thierry will be delighted to get the job,” Aliadiere said.
“We've seen how patriotic he is and how much he loves France. We saw him during the Olympic Games in 2024 as well. He's had a great tournament there. I'm sure that'll be in the back of his mind and he will love to get the opportunity at some point.”
The admiration for Zidane, though, is absolute.
“But I think Zidane in France is something different and now we've touched the gods. Zidane will always be Zidane. So I wish and I really hope that he succeeds and everything goes well.
“Because as much as Deschamps didn't win this World Cup, he's still all the time going to semis, to finals, won in 2018. So you just think it's still going to be a challenge for Zidane to get over the line.
“Because the next step now really for Zidane, he has to win something. He can't just come and then do a semi-final or a quarter-finals. And we know how hard it is to win it. Only one team can. And we know with England as well. They've been in tournaments lately where they are so close but not quite there. So you just start losing patience. Hopefully Zidane can do it.”
The standard has been set by Deschamps. Zidane must at least match it. Anything less than a trophy will feel like a missed note.
A golden era that isn’t done yet
The obvious question follows: can France stay at the top, cycle after cycle, as this gifted generation matures?
For Aliadiere, there is no doubt.
“Yeah, 100%. I think so,” he said. “I think as much as people might say that Didier Deschamps has only one World Cup, that is obviously more than a lot of anyone else. But you just think what he's done in terms of leading the team with such a great squad and great talent.
“Zidane's going to come in and he hasn't got a lot to do really. Everything's already set for him to succeed.”
The core is already in place. The age profile is right. And there is more to come.
“So yeah, I think you're right. I think the force, the age, the players that we're missing as well that will be back in the team.
You think a player like [Rayan] Cherki who couldn't get much minutes in there, he'll be in for two years, four years. You think about [Hugo] Ekitike who was injured before it. It's like the names that you've got and the talent you've got, I think Zidane now has just got to put his little magic on it and then make it work.”
Zidane, then Henry? Maybe. For now, France belong to Zizou and a squad built to dominate. But somewhere down the line, if the federation wants to keep that ’98 flame burning, Henry will be waiting – medals around his neck, scars on his CV, and one last, irresistible challenge in front of him.
