Legendary France coach Didier Deschamps will return home from the World Cup following the death of his mother. He will miss his team’s final group game against Norway, the French football federation (FFF) said on Tuesday in the US (Wednesday AEST).
Deschamps Returns to France for Funeral
The FFF said Deschamps learned of his mother’s death on Tuesday morning, hours after his team’s 3-0 win over Iraq, and will fly back to France to attend her funeral. "At this incredibly painful time, we wish the head coach great strength and assure him of everyone’s support," the FFF said in a statement.
Assistant coach Guy Stephan will take temporary charge of the squad — including for the game in Massachusetts on Friday (Saturday AEST) — until Deschamps returns. The federation did not specify when Deschamps was expected to return to the United States.
Deschamps' Legacy and Final Tournament
The 57-year-old is in his last weeks as France coach, having previously announced he would end his 14-year reign at the conclusion of the tournament. Deschamps captained Les Bleus to World Cup glory in 1998 and led the nation to another triumph as coach in 2018, before losing the 2022 final to Argentina in a penalty shootout.
France won their opening two matches at this World Cup, beating Senegal 3-1 in the opener before the Iraq victory. Norway also won their first two matches to set up a winner-takes-top-spot meeting on the weekend. France will claim top spot with a draw thanks to their superior goal difference, after Norway claimed 4-1 and 3-2 wins over Iraq and Senegal respectively — conceding a crucial stoppage-time goal in the latter match.
Weather Delay and Mbappe's Performance
France’s win over Iraq on Monday in Philadelphia (Tuesday AEST) was held up for more than two hours by bad weather. Kylian Mbappe netted either side of a storm, which delayed the second half, to move alongside Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, behind only Lionel Messi (18).
“I think it’s the first time I experienced it in football as a coach or a player,” Iraq’s Australian boss Graham Arnold said of the delay. “It obviously made it much harder for the players.” The half-time whistle sent both sides scurrying for cover with FIFA announcing that the match had entered “severe weather mode” due to the possibility of lightning strikes.
“It’s a question of safety,” Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps said. “You can’t fight against rain and lightning. We will stick to the local laws. We have to adapt. These are very special circumstances and I do hope they will not happen again.” After a delay of two hours and 11 minutes from half-time, the players returned with France continuing to dominate.
Mbappe created one final chance for himself before being replaced in the 90th minute, picking the ball up near halfway before outpacing the defence, only to fire high and wide. “He (Mbappe) can take (Lionel) Messi, he can take (Cristiano) Ronaldo,” Deschamps added. “He does have the capacity to up his ante.”
