France's final match under Didier Deschamps turned into a wild 6-4 defeat against England in the World Cup third-place play-off at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Saturday. England led 4-0 at half-time, the first time France had trailed by four goals at the break since a 6-1 loss to the Netherlands in January 1936. Kylian Mbappé sparked a second-half revival, adding to his record 22 World Cup goals (10 in this edition), but England held on. The ten-goal spectacle was a fittingly dramatic end to Deschamps' 14-year reign.
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot did not hide his anger after the match, describing the first-half performance as "shameful" and pointing to "behaviour from certain players that I had never seen before." He added, "There was a job to do until the end and we cannot just botch things like that." Rabiot said the team spoke at half-time and showed more pride in the second period, but insisted some attitudes were "inadmissible." Deschamps took responsibility, saying he made four changes at the interval but "could have made eight."
“Some behaviours were inadmissible.”
In a post-match interview with M6, Deschamps, 57, said he stepped down for the good of the team. "If I stopped, it's for the good of the France team. There was an environment that was so unbreathable around me, and the France team does not deserve that." He said the decision, announced in January 2025, had already improved the atmosphere. Deschamps added that he had been "disconnected for 10 years" to avoid going "mad" from criticism.
“I decided it had to stop, and if I did it, it's not for me.”
Several players publicly thanked Deschamps. Dayot Upamecano, Maxence Lacroix and Jules Koundé posted emotional farewells on social media. Former striker Olivier Giroud, France's all-time top scorer, recalled Deschamps' words after the 2018 World Cup final: "We will be linked for life." Giroud wrote, "I am grateful for your trust, your will to get the best out of me." He ended his international career after Euro 2024 but shared 12 years with Deschamps.
“I will never forget these 12 years shared together of passion and love for this blue shirt.”
Deschamps' tenure included the 2018 World Cup triumph, the 2016 European Championship final loss, and the 2021 Nations League title. He became only the third man to win the World Cup as both player and coach. After the Miami defeat, he symbolically kept the key to his room at Clairefontaine, promising to become a "silent supporter." A collective prayer between French and English players on the pitch after the final whistle offered a moment of unity.
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France lost 6-4 to England in the World Cup third-place match in Miami, closing Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure as head coach amid player criticism and emotional tributes.
AI text based on reports by Le Figaro.fr, Notícias ao Minuto, 7sur7 and other publishers. Changed .