France coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that he will leave his position 18 months after the 2026 World Cup.
Deschamps, who won the World Cup as a player and coach, spent 13 years in his position but said he would leave his position when his current contract expires after next summer's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
His former teammate Zinedine Zidane is likely to replace him.
“I've been here since 2012 and I'll stay until 2026 and the next World Cup,” 56-year-old Deschamps told TF1. “But it will end there because it has to. In my opinion, it's clear. 2026, everything is fine.”
“You never want a good thing to end, but you have to know when to stop. There is life after that, I don't know which one, but it will still be very good. Fourteen years is a lot. The most important thing is that France stays on top like it did.” “Several years ago.”
Successful transition to training
After an impressive career as a player that saw him win the Champions League with Marseille and three Serie A titles with Juventus, as well as the 1998 World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000, Deschamps began his coaching career at Monaco, leading them to the Champions League final in 2004.
After leading Juventus back to the Italian League and Marseille to the French League title, he took over as coach of the France national team in July 2012.
After reaching the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the French national team was the favorite to win the 2016 European Championship on home soil, but failed against Portugal in the final.
Success in Russia
Redemption occurred at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where France swept to the title after defeating Croatia 4-2 in the final.
A round-of-16 exit at Euro 2020 was disappointing, but France performed well at the 2022 World Cup, beating England on their way to the final where they lost on penalties to Lionel Messi's Argentina after a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Deschamps was widely criticized for his tactics after France was eliminated by Spain in the semi-finals of the European Championship 2024, with his team scoring only four goals in six matches in Germany.
