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The San Francisco 49ers may be about to lose one of their most important front office minds to the soccer world. Paraag Marathe, the team's executive vice president of football operations, is reportedly one of three finalists to become the next commissioner of Major League Soccer, succeeding Don Garber. That's a massive get for MLS if it happens, and a real organizational blow for San Francisco.
Speaking of soccer at the highest level, France has found its next national team manager, and it's the name every French football fan has been waiting for. Zinedine Zidane is set to be formally appointed head coach this month, taking over from Didier Deschamps after his long and decorated run. At fifty-four years old, Zidane steps into the biggest job in French football, and the expectations could not be higher.
And back stateside, U.S. Soccer is thinking big after a roller coaster World Cup run for the men's national team. The federation is mapping out a long-term growth strategy, using the World Cup as a launchpad and setting its sights on the two thousand twenty-eight Olympics and the two thousand thirty-one Women's World Cup as the next major milestones.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
