Didier Deschamps Closes 14-Year France Reign With Warm World Cup Memories

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Didier Deschamps left the France coaching post on Saturday after 14 years in charge, saying his spell with the squad had been a deeply rewarding experience alongside his players.

Deschamps took France to World Cup victory in Moscow in 2018, placing him among just three men to win the tournament as both player and manager. In Doha in 2022, he guided Les Bleus to another final, where Argentina beat them on penalties.

France began the 2026 tournament in North America in strong form but were beaten 2-0 by Spain in the semi-finals. Their run ended with a frantic third-place play-off against England on Saturday. The French were four goals adrift at half-time before pulling the score back to 6-4, yet still left without the bronze.

Reflecting after that match, Deschamps called the tournament "beautiful" for his players and staff. "On a human level, it was a truly wonderful adventure with them," he said. "The eight weeks we've spent together since the start of the preparations were beautiful."

On the football side, he spoke openly about falling short of the team's goals. He noted the "disappointment" for a squad that "set out with a great deal of ambition" but could not reach its target. "We managed to do quite a lot of positive things. We failed in our match against Spain, and they were able to perform at a very high level against us," he said.

The 57-year-old is now set to hand over leadership — widely expected to pass to French great Zinedine Zidane — and said he remains upbeat about what comes next. "There are quite a few young players who will continue to develop, and there's the talent to keep achieving very good results," he said.