Zinedine Zidane reunites with Aime Jacquet after France win

France’s Nations League victory provided the backdrop for a reunion between two central figures from the country’s 1998 World Cup triumph. Zinedine Zidane and his former coach, Aime Jacquet, embraced in the Stade de France corridor after the match, creating the evening’s most emotional scene.

France had overturned Belgium 4-1 on Monday. Jacquet, 84, was at the stadium to support the national team, while Zidane was among the former players whose careers were shaped by the coach. Their meeting brought together the 1998 world champions in their respective roles as player and manager.

Zidane later said he was pleased that Jacquet had attended, noting that his former mentor rarely went out. He also recalled Jacquet’s way of leading the team: with affection for his players, confidence in them, room for freedom and, above all, kindness.

The reunion also brought other members of that celebrated France side together. Laurent Blanc, Robert Pires, Christian Karembeu, Bernard Diomede and Vincent Candela were among those who came to greet the former coach and his players. The moment linked Monday’s result with memories of the generation that lifted the World Cup in 1998.