By Ashiadey Dotse
France’s long-serving football manager, Didier Deschamps, has announced he will step down after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The 56-year-old, who has been in charge of the French national team since 2012, confirmed his decision in an interview with French broadcaster TF1, saying, “In 2026 it will be over. In my head, it’s very clear.”
Deschamps is widely regarded as one of football’s most successful managers. Under his leadership, France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia and reached the finals of the 2016 European Championship and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He is one of only three individuals, alongside Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer, to have won the World Cup both as a player and a manager.
Before coaching France, Deschamps managed clubs like Monaco, Juventus, and Marseille, winning trophies with each team. As a player, he enjoyed an outstanding career, earning 103 caps for France and captaining the team to victory in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
Deschamps emphasized his passion for keeping France at the top but added, “One has to be able to say stop. There’s a life after this. The most important is for France to stay at the top as they have been for many years.”
France’s journey to the 2026 World Cup will depend on their performance in the Nations League quarter-final against Croatia in March. Deschamps now looks to end his remarkable tenure on a high note.
