Didier Deschamps Set To Step Down as French National Team’s Head Coach After the 2026 World Cup

Current French men’s national team head coach, Didier Deschamps, has decided to step down from his role after the 2026 FIFA World Cup cycle. The 56-year-old manager will depart after the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico if Les Bleus qualify, or he will leave after the end of the qualification campaign if they fail to make it.

Deschamps dropped this news during an interview with TF1 in which he said, “In 2026 it will be over. In my head it's very clear. I've done my time, with the same desire and passion to maintain France at the highest level but 2026 is (a) very good (time to stop). 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." Didier Deschamps took the reins as France’s head coach in 2012, stepping in to replace his former teammate Laurent Blanc. Since then, the 56-year-old has achieved remarkable success with Les Bleus. His journey to glory began with a near-miss at the 2016 Euros, where France reached the final but was edged out by Portugal in extra time. 

However, Deschamps' true triumph came just two years later at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Leading his team to victory, France triumphed 4-1 over Croatia in the final to claim their second World Cup title. Deschamps followed up that success with a Nations League win in 2021, before guided France to the 2022 World Cup final, and a semifinal berth in the 2024 Euros. With an impressive 64.2% win rate and a string of semifinal finishes in the last four major tournaments, Deschamps has firmly established himself as France’s most successful head coach ever. He’s also one of the most accomplished national team managers in history, joining an elite group of only three people to have won the World Cup both as a player (1998) and a manager—alongside Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer and Brazil’s Mario Zagallo. 

With Deschamps confirming that he will leave in 2026, all eyes are on French Football Federation (FFF) to announce his successor. According to several reports, Zinedine Zidane is the frontrunner for the job. The French legend has a very impressive CV, winning the Champions League with Real Madrid for three straight seasons (2016.2017,2018). Besides that, Zidane has also won the two La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups, two Club World Cups and two UEFA Super Cups. However, the 52-year-old hasn’t managed a team in almost four years. Despite that, he’s the preferred choice of fans to takeover from Deschamps. Deschamps is expected to make an official announcement on Wednesday. 

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