OFFICIAL: Deschamps to resign from France after 2026 World Cup

The 56-year-old, who was appointed to the post in 2012, will end his long tenure at the end of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, for which France have yet to qualify.   

The coach's departure will close the most glorious chapter in the history of 'Les Bleus'. Deschamps has built up an unrivalled record as France coach, winning the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the Nations League in 2021, as well as reaching the finals of Euro-2016 and the World Cup in 2022. 

Following the final of the last World Cup, which France lost to Argentina in Qatar, the Basque's contract was extended for a further four years, a move that drew widespread criticism at the time. France's lacklustre performance at Euro-2024, despite reaching the semi-finals, heightened the debate about the coach's management. 

However, Deschamps still has plenty to aim for before his retirement. 'Les Bleus' face Croatia in the quarter-finals of the Nations League in March. If they win, they will play in the Final Four of that competition in June, before going on to qualify for the next World Cup, the final challenge facing the former Les Bleus captain and 1998 world champion.

 

January 8, 2025