PARIS (AP) — Adieu Didier. Bonjour Zinedine?
Coach Didier Deschamps takes charge of his last game for France on Saturday when Les Bleus face England at the World Cup in Miami. The winner gets third place, an anti-climactic award brought about by agonizing semifinal defeats.
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FILE - Zinedine Zidane of France displays the World Cup after the final of the soccer World Cup 98 between Brazil and France at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Sunday, July 12, 1998. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, file)
France head coach Didier Deschamps smiles on to the pitch before the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
France head coach Didier Deschamps leaves the pitch at the the end of the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
FILE - Former French player Zinedine Zidane, left, embraces Kylian Mbappe of France, as he is being presented to fans as a new Real Madrid player in Madrid, July 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas, File)
It is a disappointing end to Deschamps' reign when many observers touted his star-studded attack to win another World Cup. Zinedine Zidane is widely expected to be confirmed as France's new coach in the coming days by the French soccer federation.
France won the World Cup under Deschamps in 2018, lost a gut-wrenching final on penalties in 2022, and fell short tactically against Spain on Tuesday.
In his 14 years in charge, Deschamps won just one major trophy — albeit the biggest of all — having lost the European Championship final on home soil in 2016.
Some observers suggest that was not quite enough given the talent at France's disposal — including Kylian Mbappé, Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and Ballon d'Or winners Ousmane Dembélé and Karim Benzema — while others argue France was remarkably consistent under Deschamps, who is now 57.
Whatever the view, France's next coach has big shoes to fill and a big aura will help. As arguably France's greatest ever player, and a prolifically successful coach with Real Madrid, Zidane seems the perfect fit.
Polar opposites as players, Zidane and Deschamps are forever linked by glory.
The industrious midfielder Deschamps was France's tireless captain when it won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, while Zinedine was the unstoppable creative force that drove that brilliant team to new heights.
Here's a look at how France might look with Zidane in charge.
France's 2-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup semifinal was more crushing than the score suggests.
France was found wanting tactically when put under sustained pressure by the slick Spanish. Completely dominated in midfield, France got its pressing game all wrong. The attack was blunted and Deschamps had no Plan “B” to turn things around.
Deschamps has had his detractors over the years — chief among them Christophe Dugarry, his former France teammate — who said his approach was too restrictive and lacked sufficient creativity in central midfield.
Zidane would doubtless want a more expansive approach, such as during his heyday when he roamed the field as a playmaker. Michael Olise or Rayan Cherki could fill that role.
Both are technically gifted although neither are a playmaker by definition like Zidane was. Another option could be Dembélé dropping deep into that role, as he has done well with Paris Saint-Germain.
Zidane is a huge fan of Benzema and they became close friends when Zidane coached him at Real Madrid.
They won three straight Champions League titles together from 2016-18 and Benzema became a more complete player, as well as a ruthless finisher, under Zidane's guidance. Benzema is 38 and his advanced age may prove a stumbling block.
But given how the age-defying Lionel Messi has dazzled at this World Cup aged 39, Zidane may think Benzema — a Ballon d'Or winner in 2022 — has something left to give. Especially if he plays in a more withdrawn role, where he can use his excellent technical skill and passing ability to good effect.
Critics of Deschamps never forgave him for leaving out Benzema for the best part of six years, due to Benzema's alleged part in a “sex-tape scandal” targeting then-France teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
However, France won the World Cup without Benzema.
He was finally recalled in time for the European Championship in 2021, where he was France's top scorer with four goals, and combined brilliantly with Mbappé when they won the Nations League later that year.
Benzema fell out with Deschamps after being released from the 2022 World Cup because of a thigh injury, with Benzema contesting events leading to his departure.
It would be a big call for Zidane to recall him, but it's not impossible.
One question is how ready Zidane would be for such a high-pressured job, giving that he has not coached since leaving Madrid after his second spell in 2021.
Yet he will also be fresh after several years away from the stress and scrutiny of management.
Should the 54-year-old Zidane take charge, his first game would be away to Turkey in the Nations League on Sept. 25, followed by a match in Belgium three days later.
Home fans would need to wait until Oct. 2 for a glimpse of Zidane at Stade de France, when France plays Italy.
Zidane's last game as a player for France was against Italy in the 2006 World Cup final. He scored early with a Panenka-style penalty, before an infamous moment saw him red-carded for headbutting Italy defender Marco Materazzi during extra time.
France lost the final on penalty kicks but the French public quickly forgave Zidane — affectionally known as “Zizou” — for getting sent off, such was his deep bond with the nation.
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
FILE - Zinedine Zidane of France displays the World Cup after the final of the soccer World Cup 98 between Brazil and France at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Sunday, July 12, 1998. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, file)
France head coach Didier Deschamps smiles on to the pitch before the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
France head coach Didier Deschamps leaves the pitch at the the end of the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
FILE - Former French player Zinedine Zidane, left, embraces Kylian Mbappe of France, as he is being presented to fans as a new Real Madrid player in Madrid, July 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chien Le first met the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara in 2005, a few years before Pannakara became a novice monk at the Texas Buddhist temple where he is now the deputy abbot.
What struck Le then, and amazes him still, is Pannakara’s iron-clad determination.
“When he decides to do something, he goes all the way,” said Le, secretary of the temple — the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth. “He’s never been afraid of obstacles. He always finds a way through them.”
That indomitable will was in full display during the meditative Walk for Peace that Pannakara led earlier this year with an international group of monks and his rescue dog, Aloka, who has become a mascot for the movement. The 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) journey started in Fort Worth on Oct. 26 and ended in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 14.
Pannakara’s discourses on mindfulness and kindness in churchyards, town squares and in front of the Lincoln Memorial drew large, diverse crowds. Millions worldwide followed along online.
Within weeks, the Walk for Peace had propelled this obscure monk into the spotlight as a leading voice for inner peace and unity in an increasingly divided nation. His popularity continues to soar, with some drawing comparisons with the Dalai Lama, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the late Thich Nhat Hanh, a revered Zen master and peace activist who shared Pannakara’s Vietnamese roots.
Pannakara, who traveled to Southern California last weekend with Aloka for several speaking engagements, said he doesn’t care for all the attention.
“There is no fame for monks,” he said. “I made a vow to walk to raise awareness of peace, loving kindness and compassion. That’s what it’s about.”
As part of his Theravada Buddhist practice, he follows “Vinaya” — a strict code of monastic rules. That means no social media accounts, personal possessions or handling money, and the practice of celibacy and modesty.
He doesn't eat after noon and, according to Le, sleeps sitting up, which is not mandatory for Theravada monks, but adopted by some as an ascetic practice to deepen mindfulness.
Pannakara was born in Dak Lak, Vietnam, in 1981, the youngest of 10 children. He says his family was Buddhist in “name only.” He immigrated to the U.S. in 1997 and graduated with a degree in information technology from the University of Texas at Arlington. He said his first exposure to Buddhism was in the U.S. through temple summer camps and youth leadership.
Pannakara stepped away from his engineering career to become a novice monk and became fully ordained in 2010 by his teacher, the Most Venerable Ratanaguna, who he has often cited as his source of inspiration. There was not one life-changing event that prompted his decision, he said, but the cumulative effect of seeing his loved ones suffer and people trying to step on each other to move up.
“To me everything just seemed fake,” he said.
Le recalls that Pannakara’s parents were inconsolable.
“Even on the day he was ordained, his mother came, and she cried a lot,” he said, adding that they eventually accepted it.
Le said Pannakara was a quick learner, completing several projects on their campus including landscaping, a new kitchen, homes for the monastics and a memorial hall for deceased members.
At his teacher’s direction, Pannakara traveled to Myanmar between 2018 and 2020 to study and practice Vipassana meditation, an ancient technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. When COVID hit, he returned to Fort Worth and organized food drives, said Amanda Phan, a temple member.
“(Pannakara) is a rare human being,” she said. “He is an embodiment of kindness, compassion, wisdom — a bodhisattva — a being whose purpose is to relieve others from their suffering.”
In late 2022, Pannakara joined about 100 monks in a 2,100-mile (3,380-kilometer), 112-day pilgrimage tracing the footsteps of the Buddha — from his birthplace in Lumbini, Nepal, to Bodh Gaya where he attained enlightenment; Sarnath, the site of the first sermon; and Kushinagar, where he died. The monks emulated Buddha's journey — walking barefoot, eating one meal a day, and sleeping under the stars.
“I had learned the Buddha’s teachings from the Tipitaka (Buddhist canon),” Pannakara said. “But with this walk, I experienced it.”
He also learned about himself — about his strength to bear adversity and pain.
“I learned that we can do much more than we think we’re capable of,” he said.
That journey also brought Aloka into his life. Aloka means light in Pali.
“Even when he faced challenges and almost died he walked with us,” Pannakara said of his dog.
It was on a previous trip to Bodh Gaya — under the Bodhi tree where the Buddha attained enlightenment — that Pannakara said he had a vision to build stone stupas to preserve the sacred teachings for generations to come. Seven years later, he told Ratanaguna about his desire. With his teacher’s blessing, the plan for the $200-million Dhammacetiya project was born — 840 stupas bearing Buddha’s teachings in 10 languages, built to last 4,000 years.
Pannakara knelt before an assembly of monastics and visitors during the temple’s 2022 International Vesak Ceremony and vowed that if he is unable to complete the project in this lifetime, he would “be reborn to continue this project until its completion.” This project and the peace walks — which he plans to do more of — together uphold his vow to promote peace and preserve the Buddha’s teachings, he said.
Ajahn Nisabho, a Seattle-based Theravada Buddhist monk, said he was moved by Pannakara's authenticity and commitment.
“The story of his quilted robe that he stitched it together from pieces of cloth he picked up during the walk in India — he was honoring that past and that ethos,” Nisabho said. “As a fellow monk, it was inspiring for me to see floods of people walking behind him during the peace walk.”
The Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, a senior Theravada monk who spoke at the conclusion of the Walk for Peace in Washington, said Pannakara was wise to remain silent on politics during his walk. But Bodhi, 81, hopes he does speak up on critical social issues like poverty, hunger, housing and the climate.
“I just hope that as (Pannakara) becomes more established and gets accustomed to publicity, he’ll consider taking a stand on these issues that have deep moral and spiritual significance,” he said.
Nisabho believes Pannakara made the right decision to steer clear of politics and activism. He said there are not many spaces today that are able to welcome the kind of diversity the peace walk attracted — with the exception of Dolly Parton “who brings truckers and drag queens together.”
“The vision of a monastic is the one chance someone has, to be inspired toward awakening and find an escape from suffering,” Nisabho said. “If you bring politics into that, you cause damage by alienating half the country.”
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., pets his dog, Aloka, while waiting for an event to start in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., and his dog, Aloka, walk to Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., and his dog, Aloka, are greeted by well-wishers during an event at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., receives flowers from well-wishers during an event at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., poses for a portrait in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An attendee holds a framed painting depicting Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., and his dog, Aloka, during an event at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A woman bows as she greets Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led the 2,300-mile Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., and his dog, Aloka, at an event at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., pets his dog, Aloka, while waiting for an event to start in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., and his dog, Aloka, walk to Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Buddhist monks take pictures of Aloka before an event with Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, bottom center, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., hands out postcards and signs autographs for attendees at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., sits with his dog, Aloka, before an event at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, third from right, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., poses for a group photo as his dog, Aloka, rests nearby in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Attendees hold flowers while waiting to greet Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., during an event at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., and fellow monks take group pictures at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, foreground right, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., carries flowers as he pays his respects at a monument during an event at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
