Departing Deschamps looks back on ‘wonderful’ World Cup

Didier Deschamps July 20, 2026 MIAMI, United States (AFP) — France Coach Didier Deschamps said he had experienced a “truly wonderful adventure” with his players as he bid farewell to the job on Saturday after 14 highly successful years in charge. Deschamps guided France to World Cup glory in Moscow in 2018, becoming one of only three men to have won it as both coach and player. He led Les Bleus back to the final in Doha in 2022, where they lost to Argentina in a penalty shoot-out. Despite starting the 2026 tournament in North America impressively, France suffered a bitter 2-0 defeat by Spain in the semi-finals. After a chaotic third-place play-off loss to England on Saturday, during which they were 4-0 down at half-time, but brought the score back to 6-4 at the end, Deschamps reflected that he had had a “beautiful” tournament with his players and staff. “On a human level, it was a truly wonderful adventure with them,” he said. “The eight weeks we’ve spent together since the start of the preparations were beautiful.” On a sporting level, he acknowledged the “disappointment” for a squad that “set out with a great deal of ambition” but came up short. “We managed to do quite a lot of positive things. We failed in our match against Spain, and they were able to perform at a very high level against us,” he said. As the 57-year-old prepares to hand over the reins — almost certainly to French legend Zinedine Zidane — Deschamps said he was certain the future was bright. “There are quite a few young players who will continue to develop, and there’s the talent to keep achieving very good results,” he said. International News, Latest News, Sports EAST RUTHERFORD, United States (AFP) — Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game on Sunday as Spain beat 10-man Argentina 1-0 after extra-time to... Football, International News, Latest News, ... EAST RUTHERFORD, United States (AFP) — The World Cup final between Spain and 10-man Argentina went to extra-time on Sunday, with the teams locked at 0... Football, International News, Latest News, ... Hull City have reportedly entered negotiations to sign Leon Bailey from Aston Villa as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of their return to th... International News, Latest News, Sports EAST RUTHERFORD, United States (AFP) — Defending champions Argentina and Spain were locked at 0-0 at half-time in the World Cup final on Sunday. The E... KINGSTON, Jamaica — More than 8,000 miles from home, Chrision McPherson and Shamar Brown are honing their hospitality skills while gaining firsthand e... Football, International News, Latest News, ... EAST RUTHERFORD, United States (AFP) — Lionel Messi's Argentina made three changes to their starting line-up for Sunday's World Cup final against Spa... Now in its second year, the Custos Commando Initiative: Centenarian Storytelling Series recently took place at the Bamboo Blu in Mammee Bay, St Ann. A... Entertainment, Latest News The final of the sixth Jamaica International Independence Foreign Song Competition (JIIFSC) takes place on July 25 in Snellville, Georgia. Eight Jamai... Facebook Twitter Instagram Polls Recent Posts Archives