Fabien Barthez, the former French goalkeeper and 1998 World Cup champion, has been appointed as the goalkeepers coach for the French national team under new head coach Zinedine Zidane.
The French Football Federation (FFF) announced the appointment on August 13, 2026. Barthez, 55, played alongside Zidane during France’s 1998 World Cup victory on home soil and brings extensive experience from his playing career at clubs including Toulouse, Monaco, Marseille, and Manchester United.
Before this role, Barthez served as a consultant for France under coaches Raymond Domenech and Laurent Blanc but was not involved during Didier Deschamps’ 14-year tenure. He also had a stint coaching at Toulouse between 2020 and 2021.
Additional Staff Appointments
- David Bettoni and Hamidou Msaidie, longtime associates of Zidane from his Real Madrid coaching spells, have been named assistant coaches.
- Gregory Dupont joins as Strategy and Performance Advisor, another member of Zidane’s Madrid backroom team.
Zidane officially took over as France’s head coach on July 28, 2026, succeeding his former teammate Didier Deschamps following France’s exit in the World Cup semi-finals. Zidane’s first training camp with the national team is scheduled for September, ahead of their opening match under his leadership — a UEFA Nations League away fixture against Turkey on September 25.
