France’s World Cup-winning manager, Didier Deschamps, has revealed that he will step down after the 2026 edition of the tournament.
Speaking to French broadcaster TF1, Deschamps stated, “It will be 2026. I have been there since 2012, it is planned that I will be there until 2026… the next World Cup. It will end there because it has to end at some point. It’s clear in my mind.”
Reflecting on his journey with the team, he added, “I have done my time, with the same desire, the same passion to keep the France team at the highest level, but 2026 is good.”
Deschamps famously led France to a triumphant World Cup victory in Russia in 2018 and took them to the final in 2022, where they were edged out by Lionel Messi’s Argentina in a penalty shootout.
As a player, he also left an indelible mark by captaining the French side that lifted the 1998 World Cup trophy on home soil after a memorable win over Brazil in the final.
At 56, Deschamps joins an elite trio of individuals who have claimed World Cup titles both as a player and as a coach, a feat also achieved by Mario Zagallo of Brazil and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer.
However, both Zagallo and Beckenbauer passed away in 2024.
