Didier Deschamps leaves the France bench after fourteen years in charge of Les Bleus, an era that ended with the World Cup 2026 semifinal defeat against Spain. Zinedine Zidane is the favorite to become the new head coach of the French national team.
The departure of Deschamps, 57, comes at the end of a highly successful cycle that culminated in the bitter 2-0 elimination by Spain in Miami. The coach from the Pyrenees leaves after leading France in 155 matches, with a record that includes winning the 2018 World Cup in Russia, losing the final on penalties in 2022 in Qatar, and defeat in the Euro 2016 final played on home soil.
Under his guidance, France enjoyed an extraordinary period of consistency, reaching the final stages of every major competition. However, Tuesday's semifinal loss to Spain proved to be the breaking point, with the team appearing tactically fragile and unable to respond to Spanish pressure. With a star-studded attack featuring Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Antoine Griezmann, expectations were sky-high, but Spain dominated midfield and exposed the limitations of Deschamps' game plan.
