Zidane forgoes image rights bonuses but negotiates higher tournament bonuses than Deschamps

Zinedine Zidane took charge of the France team following the 2026 World Cup, ending Didier Deschamps’ fourteen-year reign. While the two men share the same fixed salary — 300,000 euros gross per month — their remuneration structure differs significantly, L’Équipe reveals on Tuesday.

Contrary to what was initially announced, Zidane does not earn less than his predecessor on the fixed portion. The difference lies elsewhere: he has waived image rights bonuses, which could represent approximately 44,000 euros per match for Deschamps. This waiver is not insignificant financially, but it responds to a clear personal logic.

Zidane is indeed linked to numerous commercial brands individually — including Adidas — which put him at odds with the France team’s Nike partnership. Accepting image bonuses as manager would have involved contractual constraints incompatible with his personal commitments. The players, meanwhile, retain this image rights bonus system.

In return, the contract of the former Real Madrid manager includes performance bonuses linked to major international tournaments — World Cup and Euro — higher than those Deschamps enjoyed. The new manager is therefore betting on sporting results rather than image revenue to maximize his variable income.