Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane in Line to Become Next France Manager If World Cup Challenge Falters

Zinedine Zidane could be set to make the step up to international level as France have made moves to replace current boss Didier Deschamps with the current Real Madrid manager in the not-too-distant future.

Zidane has won two Champions League titles in as many seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu and could make it three when Los Blancos take on Liverpool in Kiev on May 26.

However, Real are set to finish third in La Liga as they currently sit 15 points behind Barcelona and three behind city rivals Atletico with one game of the season to play. If they lose in the Champions League final it will be a trophy-less season and could spell the end for Zidane.

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With Madrid lagging so far behind Barca domestically, Zidane may see this as the ideal opportunity to further his career elsewhere, and according to the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial his next move may be away from club football.

They claim that the French Football Federation (FFF) have already made tentative enquiries about Zidane's future, with a view to appointing him in 2020 - or sooner, if Les Bleus fail to live up to expectations at this summer's World Cup.

Deschamps has taken France to the last two major tournaments. A quarter final exit to Germany at the 2014 World Cup was followed by a heartbreaking defeat on home soil against Portugal in the final of Euro 2016.

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There is now serious pressure on Deschamps to deliver glory with a French squad which may be the best since Zidane's playing days.

Zidane scored twice for France in the final of the 1998 World Cup as they beat Brazil 3-0, but he was dramatically sent off in his final ever game for head-butting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 Word Cup final, which France lost on penalties to Italy.

France are in Group C at the 2018 World Cup along with Australia, Peru and Denmark.