Didier Deschamps is set to end his remarkable 14-year reign as France head coach after Les Bleus’ FIFA World Cup third-place play-off against England, with football legend Zinedine Zidane widely expected to succeed him.
Deschamps, 57, had hoped to conclude his tenure by leading France to a third FIFA World Cup title, but their campaign ended in the semi-finals following a 2-0 defeat to Spain in Arlington, Texas, leaving them to battle England for third place.
Reflecting on his time in charge, Deschamps described coaching the French national team as the greatest privilege of his career.
“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.
Deschamps leaves as one of France’s most successful coaches, having guided the country to the 2018 FIFA World Cup title in Russia, 20 years after captaining Les Bleus to their first World Cup triumph in 1998.
He also led France to the Euro 2016 final on home soil and the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where they lost to Argentina on penalties.
Despite the disappointment of this year’s semi-final defeat to Spain, Deschamps departs with an impressive record, having taken France to at least the semi-finals in five of the seven major tournaments he managed.
During the 2026 World Cup, he adopted a more attacking approach, giving Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise greater freedom in the final third after years of criticism over his conservative style.
His final tournament was also marked by personal tragedy, as he briefly left the France camp following the death of his mother before returning to lead the team.
The match against England will be Deschamps’ 27th FIFA World Cup game as France coach, setting a new record.
Former France captain and Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is widely expected to take over after the tournament. Zidane, who has described coaching the French national team as a “dream,” has been preparing for the role since leaving Real Madrid in 2021.
French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo has indicated that the next France coach must be someone capable of leading one of the world’s biggest national teams and uniting the country, with Zidane widely regarded as the leading candidate to continue the success built by Deschamps.
