Didier Deschamps bids farewell to the French national team after 14 years of glory, leaving an indelible mark on world football. The official announcement of the coach's departure, who won the 2018 World Cup and the UEFA Nations League in 2021, comes at a time when France is preparing for the third-place match in the World Cup against England.
The 57-year-old coach, who also led France to the finals of Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup, announced that he would step down after the 2026 championship, where the team reached the semi-finals. Deschamps is the only coach to have won 20 matches in World Cups, a historic record, and he became the third person to win the world title as both a player and a coach, having lifted the trophy in 1998 as a player and in 2018 as a coach.
The French Football Federation (FFF) has already secured his successor: Zinedine Zidane, also a World Cup champion in 1998 and a legend of Real Madrid, will take over on September 1, 2026. Zidane's contract extends until the 2030 World Cup, including the campaigns for Euro 2028 and the Nations League.
Kylian Mbappé paid tribute to Deschamps in an emotional social media post: “You who gave us so much, we should have offered you a better ending, but we failed. It is very difficult to put into words everything you brought us in these 14 years. You were a key piece in the rebuilding of this team. Not everyone always appreciated your greatness, but time and history will change all of that.”
Deschamps, who has been planning his departure since January 2025, will dedicate the last months to the 2026 World Cup. While he has yet to announce his next destination, there is speculation that he may accept offers from clubs in Saudi Arabia, where the league has demonstrated financial capability for ambitious projects. The coach, who has previously managed clubs such as Juventus and Marseille, has also been linked to a potential return to Italian or French football, although nothing has been confirmed.
Deschamps' departure marks the end of an era for the French national team, as Zidane prepares to take on the challenge of maintaining the legacy of his predecessor and continuing the ambitions of Les Bleus in an increasingly competitive international landscape.
O MUNDIAL 2026 VIVE-SE COM A LEGO
AGORA PODE ACOMPANHAR O MUNDIAL DE FUTEBOL COM TODA INFORMAÇÃO – AQUI
Discover more from Apito Final
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
