France crash out as Deschamps bows out after 14 years

France's World Cup campaign ended with a 2-0 defeat to Spain in Tuesday's semi-final in Dallas. The loss concludes Didier Deschamps' tenure as national team manager, which he confirmed in January 2025 would finish after this summer's tournament. His final match will be Saturday's third-place play-off in Miami against the loser of England and Argentina.

The manner of the exit carries weight beyond the pitch, halting the momentum of a squad that entered as overwhelming favourites. Despite boasting joint top-scorer Kylian Mbappe, Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Bayern Munich's Michael Olise, France managed just 10 shots and an expected goals total of 0.3. "All our top players went missing. Collectively we were really bad," said former France midfielder Patrick Viera.

The abrupt end removes a rare constant of stability from European football's public life. "He deserved to exit by the big door," said former striker Olivier Giroud, reflecting on the squad's failed attempt to send Deschamps off with a trophy. In an era defined by short managerial cycles, his 14-year reign provided consistent leadership, though ex-defender Gael Clichy warned: "The guy who will come in behind Deschamps will find it hard. It won't be easy."

The 57-year-old set a record in Dallas by managing his 26th World Cup game, surpassing ex-West Germany boss Helmut Schon's mark of 25. He won 20 of those matches, losing only three, and is one of just three people to win the tournament as both a player and a manager. He was involved in over half of France's all-time World Cup wins and the only two times they lifted the trophy.

This institutional resilience was built on the ruins of a previous crisis. When Deschamps replaced Laurent Blanc in 2012, French football was reeling from group-stage eliminations at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, where the squad infamously refused to train. "His legacy was that he took a team that was below par, and he managed to bring that team back up to the top," Clichy said.

The transition appears already mapped out. Zinedine Zidane, Deschamps' former team-mate from the 1998 triumph, is the favourite to take over. ESPN reported in March that a verbal agreement was already in place for the 54-year-old to assume control this summer. Zidane's only managerial experience came at Real Madrid, where he won three Champions League titles before leaving in 2021.

For his part, Deschamps focused on the broader arc of his time in charge. "It is not important on a personal level whether I leave a competition in a semi-final or final," he said. "I am extremely happy. I am very proud of everything we've done to reach this stage and to win a World Cup - to take the French team to the highest level."