Didier Deschamps took the surprise decision this week to announce he will stand down as France head coach after the 2026 World Cup.

His place in history is already assured as one of only three men to win the World Cup as a player and a manager, having led France to success in 2018 after winning the trophy as a player in 1998.

The 56-year-old will have been France boss for 14 years by the time he departs, potentially after a seventh major tournament.

But is it now the right time for him to go and is Zinedine Zidane primed to take over?

French football expert Julien Laurens and fellow journalist James Horncastle discussed the situation on the latest episode of the BBC's Euro League's podcast.

France were knocked out of Euro 2024 by Spain in the semi-finals last summer. Despite reaching the last four for the fourth time in the past five major tournaments, Deschamps was criticised for his side's style of play. They scored only one goal from open play during the tournament.

Laurens: "Deschamps should have gone after the Euros.

"The longevity and success he has had is remarkable – the greatest coach in French football history, certainly for the national team without a doubt and one of the greatest ever in all national teams.

"But the Euros really felt like the end of a cycle.

"We knew there would be no Hugo Lloris and Olivier Giroud [both retired], two massive, massive players.

"Paul Pogba, for different reasons, is not there, N'Golo Kante, Karim Benzema.

"There was also the [Kylian] Mbappe situation. He was not too happy and has skipped two of the past three internationals breaks.

"Add on to that Antonie Griezmann's shock announcement [retirement], which Deschamps did not see coming. They are like father and son."

Deschamps will lead France in their Nations League quarter-final against Croatia in March, their qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup which follows and the subsequent tournament should they qualify. Some have questioned whether he should leave immediately.

Horncastle: "It depends how many players have bought into Deschamps and want to give him the best send-off possible. Sometimes when there is loyalty towards a coach that manifests itself positively and it can be a galvanising moment.

"[In the Nations League] You could see Deschamps trying to transition this team and that loyalty may not be there. The core has changed.

"It depends on how the French FA act as well. When do they feel will be appropriate to announce a successor?"

Laurens: "Jacques Santini was a very different coach, but when he announced before Euro 2004 he was going to step down to go to Spurs, the negative impact that had on that team messed things up massively.

"He didn't announce it 18 months prior like Deschamps but it felt like something was broken, like you are abandoning us.

"I wonder if it will have a similar impact or if, like a lot of people in France seem to be thinking, it will bring peace and tranquillity, the atmosphere will be better for it and the players will want to give him the perfect farewell.

"I am not sure which way it will go."

Zidane is the early favourite to replace Deschamps. The former captain, who won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France, as a player has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid, where he won three Champions League's and two La Liga titles, in 2021.

Laurens: "It looks very one-sided towards Zidane, that he has been waiting and waiting for Deschamps to step down.

"There is a very particular love story between him and the national team – as a player in '98 and 2000, then retiring in 2004 after the Euros and returning to save the nation and lead his team to another final in 2006.

"We know how that ended [Zidane was dismissed for a headbutt during France's defeat in the final], but there is so much passion and love between him and the national team.

"It is inevitable that he is the favourite to become his country's new manager."

Another contender for the job is former France striker Thierry Henry. He became France's Under-21 coach in 2023 and led the France team which took silver at the Paris Olympics last summer. He resigned from his role after the Games.

Laurens: "They Henry and Zidane] are the two candidates. There is nobody else. Others will apply and rightly so, but they are the two outstanding ones.

"Thierry is younger than Zidane. He will have another opportunity. I can easily see Zidane getting the job now and Thierry will be next. Patrick Vieira, Thierry, they will be the French team coach one day there is no doubt.

"However, it is Zidane's time."

Laurens: "The elephant in the room is Mbappe.

"Mbappe will not decide who the next France coach is, but you know if you find someone who has a relationship already with Mbappe, who has the respect of Mbappe, it would be massive.

"Not that Thierry doesn't, he and Mbappe get along really well, but there is something special between Mbappe and Zidane already, between the Mbappe family and Zidane.

"As a Real Madrid ambassador 15 years ago, Zidane tried to sign him as an 13-year-old. It was Zidane who almost welcomed him at the airport, external.

"There is a long history between the Zidanes and Mbappes. It would make a lot of sense for the French federation to go with Zidane just for that relationship he has with Mbappe."