France legend Zinedine Zidane rejected approach to replace Gregg Berhalter as USMNT coach following 2022 World Cup

Zinedine Zidane has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid back in 2021 and his next job remains something of a mystery. One thing is now clear, that Zidane's next stop will not be the United States national team.

According to reporting from ESPN, the United States Soccer Federation contacted Zidane to gauge his interest in potentially becoming their next manager, following the expiration of incumbent manager Gregg Berhalter's contract on December 31.

Zidane turned down the opportunity, via his agent Alain Migliaccio.

It is possible that Zidane was still waiting on the availability of the France job - a role that he has long reportedly coveted - but that door too was closed on Saturday when Didier Deschamps signed a contract extension.

Deschamps, a former teammate of Zidane with Les Bleus, has been France manager since 2014 and has guided the national team to its best ever run. His first tournament - the 2014 World Cup in Brazil - ended in a quarter-final exit, but he then led France to a European Championship final in 2016 on home soil, before winning the World Cup in Russia in 2018. While the delayed Euro 2020 was something of a disappointment, Deschamps recovered to once again reach an international final in Qatar last year, losing on penalties to Lionel Messi's Argentina.

There had been reporting which suggested that Deschamps would step away following the tournament in Qatar, but instead he has now signed up through 2026.

The opportunity to take the reigns of the USMNT must have been an intriguing one for Zidane. The American national team impressed many observers with their performance in Qatar, reaching the round of 16 after an undefeated group stage, before losing to the Netherlands.

The tournament was marked by the emergence of an exciting, young American team with the likes of Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic, Leeds midfielder Josh Sargent, and Norwich forward Tyler Adams.

In addition, the United States will host the next World Cup in 2026, alongside co-hosts Canada and Mexico.

Zidane took his first steps as a manager in 2013 as Real Madrid's assistant manager, before taking over Real Madrid Castilla for three years.

When Madrid coach Rafa Benitez was sacked in January 2016, Zidane stepped into the fray.

The relatively untested manager led Los Blancos on an unprecedented run of three consecutive Champions League titles - something never before done by one manager - as well as adding eight more trophies.

He stepped down in 2018, but returned a year later to add the club's 34th league title.

Zidane resigned again in May 2021 after a difficult final season.