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Didier Deschamps, France’s head coach since 2012, will step down from his position after the 2026 World Cup. This announcement was made by several French media outlets on Tuesday, which also revealed that the 56-year-old coach will make his decision official on Wednesday during a TV show. The program will also feature Brigitte Macron, wife of the President of France. His departure will mark the end of a 14-year era leading the “Bleus.”
During his tenure, Deschamps took France to the pinnacle of international football. He won the FIFA World Cup in Russia in 2018 and was runner-up in Qatar 2022. Additionally, he guided the “Bleus” to the UEFA Euro 2016 final, where they lost to Portugal on home soil, and lifted the UEFA Nations League trophy in 2021 after defeating Spain. As a historical milestone, he also won the World Cup as a player in 1998, serving as the captain of the French national team.
Throughout his long journey as head coach, Deschamps managed several key and challenging moments. Among the most controversial was the “Valbuena Affair” in 2015, a case that involved Karim Benzema, who was convicted as an accomplice in an attempted blackmail case. He also faced the resignation of Noël Le Graët, the President of the French Football Federation who hired him in 2012, after being accused of moral and sexual harassment in 2023.
With 14 years at the helm of France, Deschamps will become one of the longest-serving European national team managers, surpassed only by Joachim Löw (15 years with Germany) and Morten Olsen (15 years with Denmark). His legacy as head coach will be defined by the successes and challenges he faced during a period in which France reaffirmed its position among the elite of world football.
The future of France’s managerial position is now uncertain, with high expectations for who will succeed Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup. In the meantime, his final chapter with the “Bleus” will be pivotal in closing one of the most successful eras in the history of French football.
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