Not all dogs need to be turned against D. Deschamps

2026-07-15 16:15 © Getty Images via AFP

It seems that Didier Deschamps' era as the head coach of the French national team will come to an end with the match for third place in the 2026 World Cup. There will be some bitterness over the semifinal exit, but it's certainly not the long-serving specialist's fault.

X On social media, I saw an unfounded comment that with Zinedine Zidane, this French generation should have more titles. However, it seems unlikely.

When France fell in the quarterfinals against Germany at the 2014 World Cup, the golden generation was just emerging, and some stars had yet to arrive, such as Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and William Saliba. In 2018, the title was won in a confident style, defeating teams like Argentina, Belgium with the golden generation, and Croatia along the way. In 2022, they reached the final, when it seemed that only one person, named Kylian and with the surname Mbappe, was carrying the team, and then we have the year 2026 ahead.

2018 was exceptional, but there was also an exceptional midfield line – the rising star Paul Pogba with N'Golo Kante, who was experiencing the peak of his career at that time. This midfield was active across two championships – the 2018 World Cup and the 2020 EURO, when, in fact, it was the only notable failure of Didier Deschamps under the national team helm.

France has not had a midfield line like that since, which is one of the main problems. In recent tournaments, Adrien Rabiot has not matched the talent or skills of either Pogba or Kante, and Aurelien Tchouameni has not reached that level yet either. While global stars like William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano have emerged in defense, the midfield still lacks strength. Clearly, on the left flank, the position has not been resolved between Lucas Digne and Theo Hernandez, so it could be better there too. Digne is aging into veteran status, while Hernandez, choosing Saudi Arabia, is not playing at a very high level during the season.

This squad clearly has issues, and in such decisive championship stages, details can be crucial. A more careful game from L. Digne could have helped avoid the penalty kick that changed the game's course and psychological atmosphere. Of course, the coach could have shown some kind of B plan, but it was decided to continue trusting the leaders – Mbappe, Dembele, and Olise. They were all superb throughout the tournament. Until the semifinals, the French played very confidently, but the disciplined Spaniards were more deserving of advancing to the final.

As reported, Zinedine Zidane will take over the reins of "Les Bleus" after the championship, and Didier Deschamps will remain a legend of the French national team both as a player and as a coach.

🏆 1998: Captain and winner of the World Cup
🏆 2000: Captain and winner of the Euro
🥈 2016: Finalist of the Euro
🏆 2018: Winner of the World Cup
🏆 2021: Winner of the Nations League
🥈 2022: Finalist of the World Cup
🥉 2024: Semi-finalist… pic.twitter.com/TnYxTIQxHs

— Le Meilleur du Football (@LMDFoot_) July 9, 2026

Andrius Kriščiūnas