Zinedine Zidane is moving closer to finally granting Kylian Mbappé his longtime wish of managing him, but it won't be with Real Madrid.
Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders to ever grace the game, Frenchman Zinedine Zidane has proven to be a pretty good manager, too.
However, he's only got one club on his managerial resume. He managed Real Madrid over two different periods, having originally come through the Real Madrid Castilla managerial ranks under Carlo Ancelotti.
Zinedine Zidane was in charge of Real Madrid during one of the club's most dominant periods ever. It makes sense that Zidane demanded perfection from his players, given the standards he was used to during his playing days.
Ever since Zinedine Zidane stepped away from Real Madrid for the second time four years ago, there has been speculation about when he will return, and which club he will manage.
Of course, Real Madrid has been at the epicenter of that dialogue. It seems like a perfect ending to the fairytale, for Zidane to complete the Real Madrid trilogy.
However, as luck would have it, Zinedine Zidane has his attention focused elsewhere.
Zinedine Zidane finally grants Kylian Mbappé his longtime wish
According to a report from L'Equipe (h/t Marca), Zinedine Zidane joined in joking with the France squad about managing them next. He is aware of the interest from Les Bleus after the 2026 World Cup, and he has fed into those rumors.
Furthermore, it's said in the same report that Zinedine Zidane is already preparing to manage the France national team, assuming he will be the chosen candidate to replace Didier Deschamps.
This, of course, has an impact on Real Madrid. Not because they won't see Zinedine Zidane in the dugout, but because he'll work closely with some of Real Madrid's most important players.
Kylian Mbappé has made no secret of his desire to be coached by Zinedine Zidane, so this news will come as music to his ears. If he can't learn from one of the greatest players ever at Real Madrid, it'll have to be on international duty.
Also, Aurélien Tchouaméni is one of the best Real Madrid players around right now. He's in the form of his life heading into the World Cup, so he'll be looking for a phenomenal display in the USA, Canada and Mexico to really establish himself before Zidane takes over.