Didier Deschamps Bids Farewell After World Cup Third-Place Match
Didier Deschamps is preparing to conclude his remarkable 14-year tenure as the head coach of the French national football team. His final match will be the World Cup third-place playoff against England, a fixture that marks the end of an era for French football. Deschamps, who famously guided France to their second World Cup victory in 2018, leaves behind a legacy defined by both significant triumphs and some notable disappointments.
The 57-year-old had expressed a strong desire to cap his coaching career with a third World Cup title for France, following his success as a player in 1998 and as a manager in 2018. France entered the 2026 tournament as strong favorites, showcasing their attacking prowess with a series of impressive performances. However, their campaign concluded with a painful 2-0 defeat to Spain in the semi-finals held in Arlington, Texas. This loss extinguished their hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final and relegated them to competing for the bronze medal.
In characteristic fashion, Deschamps approached his impending departure with a pragmatic and positive outlook. Reflecting on his time at the helm, he stated, “I had the privilege of experiencing moments that were magical, and others that were difficult. But life goes on. I’m a positive person, and I know things will be good, too. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
The Transformative Impact of Didier Deschamps
Deschamps will forever be remembered as the mastermind behind France's glorious 2018 World Cup victory, a triumph that occurred two decades after he captained the national team to their inaugural global crown. His appointment in 2012 came at a challenging time for French football. The team had experienced a low point in 2010, exiting the World Cup in the group stage amidst internal strife and a player uprising against then-coach Raymond Domenech. While Laurent Blanc led the team to the Euro 2012 quarterfinals, it was Deschamps who truly revolutionized the squad, culminating in their success in Russia in 2018, a tournament that also propelled Kylian Mbappé to global superstardom.
Despite the successes, Deschamps's tenure was not without its setbacks. These included the agonizing defeat to Portugal in the Euro 2016 final on home soil and the loss to Argentina on penalties in the 2022 World Cup final. The recent semi-final loss to Spain was particularly difficult, given France's dominant form throughout the tournament in the United States. Nevertheless, Deschamps can take immense pride in his consistent record, having guided the team to at least the semi-finals in five of his seven major competitions.
When questioned earlier in the current tournament about the secret to his sustained success, he humbly responded, “I don’t know, having very good players, I guess. But I can’t be doing my job too badly.”
In his final year, Deschamps notably reinvented France's playing style, moving away from the more conservative approach that had previously yielded results. He had often faced criticism for not adopting a more expansive game, especially given the wealth of talent at his disposal. For instance, in Euro 2024, France managed to score only four goals in six games. This shift saw him grant star forwards like Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise greater freedom to express their abilities, though some might argue that a more cautious strategy against Spain could have altered the semi-final outcome. Adding a personal challenge to his final World Cup, Deschamps also had to contend with the passing of his mother, which necessitated his temporary absence from the team to attend the funeral.
Zinedine Zidane: The Heir Apparent
The match against England will mark Deschamps’s 27th World Cup game as coach, setting a new record. Following this, he will seek new challenges. It is widely considered an open secret that Zinedine Zidane, a figure of immense stature and unique aura within French football, is poised to become the next head coach of the national team. Zidane, a former teammate of Deschamps and a key player in the 1998 World Cup-winning squad, has been preparing for this role since his departure from Real Madrid in 2021. The 54-year-old has previously acknowledged that managing France was his “dream,” a dream that now appears to be on the cusp of becoming a reality.
Philippe Diallo, President of the French Football Federation, commented earlier this year to Le Figaro, “There are not many people capable of leading one of the world’s biggest national teams. It needs to be someone who ticks every box and who everyone in France can get behind.” While Zidane seems to be the chosen successor, he will undoubtedly face high expectations and a considerable legacy to uphold.
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