* Waiting in the wings is Zinedine Zidane, Deschamps’ former teammate and one of the all-time great French players
Maravi Express
Didier Deschamps — who led France to the FIFA World Cup™ 2018 title — brings the curtain down on a remarkable 14-year reign as France coach tonight when Les Bleus face England in the World Cup™ 2026 third place play-off.
Waiting in the wings is Zinedine Zidane, Deschamps’ former teammate and one of the all-time great French players.
Deschamps and Zidane during the 1998 FIFA World Cup
Deschamps, 57, had been determined to sign off by leading Les Bleus to a third World Cup triumph after a glittering career as a player and coach.
France justified their billing as favourites for the 2026 tournament with a series of swaggering attacking displays, but came unstuck against Spain in the semifinals.
The painful-defeat-in-Arlington,-Texas, denied them the chance to reach a third consecutive World Cup final and left them chasing bronze.
Characteristically, Deschamps is not anticipating an emotional farewell: “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,” he said on the eve of the game.
Deschamps: The man who transformed France
Deschamps will always be remembered as the architect of France’s glorious 2018 World Cup campaign, 20 years after he captained the team to their first global crown.
The France team were at a low ebb in 2010 when they exited the World Cup in the group phase, with their campaign marred by a squad uprising against then-coach Raymond Domenech.
Laurent Blanc took the team to the Euro 2012 quarterfinals but Deschamps truly transformed them, leading France to victory in Russia in 2018 at a tournament that propelled Kylian Mbappe to global stardom.
There have also been bitter disappointments, including defeat in the Euro 2016 final to Portugal on home soil and the loss to Argentina on penalties in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final.
Tuesday’s semifinal loss to Spain was especially painful, given France’s imperious form in the United States. But Deschamps can be proud of his record of taking the team to at least the semifinals in five of his seven major competitions at the helm.
When asked earlier in the current tournament about his secret to consistent success, he said: “I don’t know, having very good players, I guess. But I can’t be doing my job too badly.”
Deschamps has reinvented France over the past year, pivoting away from the more conservative approach that had produced results in the past.
He was often criticised for not playing a more expansive game with the talent at his disposal – at Euro 2024, France scored just four goals in six games.
Deschamps has given star forwards Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise the freedom to express themselves, but might regret not being more cautious against Spain.
Kylian Mbappe is bidding to become the first player to win the Golden Boot twice
The coach’s World Cup was also overshadowed by the death of his mother, which meant he missed one game as he returned home for the funeral.
An open secret: Zidane is coming
The England match will be Deschamps’ 27th World Cup game as coach, which is a record. After that, it will be time for a new challenge.
It is an open secret that Zidane, a man with a unique aura in the French game, will be the next head coach of the team.
The former Real Madrid player, Deschamps’ teammate at the 1998 World Cup, has been preparing himself for the role since leaving Real in 2021.
1998 World Cup final, France 3 Brazil 0
Zidane, 54, has previously admitted that it was his “dream” to manage France, and that appears to be coming true soon.
“There are not many people capable of leading one of the world’s biggest national teams,” French Football Federation President Philippe Diallo told Le Figaro earlier this year.
“It needs to be someone who ticks every box and who everyone in France can get behind.”
Zidane may be the chosen one, but he has a lot to live up to.
As for tonight, there could, however, be one compelling reason for France captain Mbappe to start — as the 27-year-old has scored eight goals at this World Cup and 20 in the tournament overall, leaving him in contention for the Golden Boot and within reach of the all-time scoring record.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi currently tops the charts with eight goals and four assists (which are used as tiebreakers when the number of goals is level) and holds the all-time record with 21 goals.
With little collective pressure attached to the third-place playoff, the match could offer Mbappe a final opportunity to turn a disappointing end to France’s campaign into another landmark moment in a career already defined by the World Cup.
Meanwhile, England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham both have six goals and have an outside chance of claiming the Golden Boot – if they feature.
England will have their own disappointment to overcome after coming agonisingly close to Sunday’s final, and Tuchel may also use the game to give minutes to members of his squad who have spent much of the tournament on the sidelines.
The stakes may be lower than either team wanted, but for fringe players there will be an opportunity to make a final impression.—Reporting by AFP, Al Jazeera & Reuters; Editing by Maravi Express
Knockout stages results
Round of 32
* South Africa 0-1 Canada
* Jordan 1-3 Argentina
* Brazil 2-1 Japan
* Germany 1(3)-1(4) Paraguay
* Netherlands 1(2)-1(3) Morocco
* Côte d’Ivoire 1-2 Norway
* France 3-0 Sweden
* Mexico 2-0 Ecuador
* England 1-2 DR Congo
* Belgium 3-2 Senegal
* USA 2-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina
* Spain 3-0 Austria
* Portugal 2-1 Croatia
* Switzerland 2-0 Algeria
* Australia 1(2)-1(4) Egypt
* Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde
* Colombia 1-0 Ghana
Round of 16
* Canada 0-3 Morocco
* Paraguay 0-1 France
* Brazil 1-2 Norway
* Mexico 2-3 England
* Portugal 0-1 Spain
* USA 1-4 Belgium
* Argentina 3-2 Egypt
* Switzerland 0(4)-0(3) Colombia
Quarterfinals
* Morocco 0-2 France
* Belgium 1-2 Spain
* Norway 1-2 England
* Argentina 3-1 Switzerland
Semifinals
* France 0-2 Spain
* England 1-0 Argentina
3rd Place Play-off
Saturday
* France v England (23h00)
Final
Sunday
* Spain v Argentina (21h00)
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