Deschamps at the Crossroads: A Rollercoaster Year, a 2026 World Cup, and Zidane's Shadow
18 November 2025
Deschamps’ Rollercoaster Year
Didier Deschamps, the France manager, has endured a rollercoaster of a year with the Blues.
Deschamps began 2024 with hints that his time might be up, yet he delivered a fresh international achievement in the middle, and late in the year found himself in a public clash with a prominent French figure, ending with another milestone and a hint about his next coaching move after fourteen years at the helm.
The 57-year-old Deschamps, who guided his country to World Cup glory in 1998 in France and Euro 2000 in the Netherlands and Belgium, began his coaching tenure with France in the summer of 2012, succeeding Laurent Blanc, a member of the golden generation, but he left after only two years.
This year Deschamps has steered the French national team in ten matches, winning seven, drawing once, and losing twice to Croatia in the Nations League quarterfinals second leg, and to Spain 4-5 in the semifinals of the same competition in June in Germany.
France tallied 24 goals and conceded 11 this year, and Deschamps again stood on the podium by earning Nations League bronze with a 2-0 win over Germany in the third-place playoff.
In November, Deschamps led his country to a 17th World Cup appearance, the eighth in a row, including four straight under his leadership; he guided France to the 2018 World Cup title in Russia and to a silver at the latest World Cup in Qatar 2022 after a dramatic shootout defeat to Argentina following a 3-3 draw.
Beyond that, Deschamps won the European Nations League in 2021, and only a runners-up finish at Euro 2016 on home soil remains to complete his European trophy collection.
With the end of France’s campaign this year, Deschamps overall record as France coach stood at 175 matches, 113 wins, 32 draws and 30 losses, with 375 goals scored and 165 conceded.
Beyond the numbers, Deschamps announced on January 8 that he would step down after his World Cup run, set for summer 2026 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
That message opened the door for his former colleague Zinedine Zidane, a member of the 1998 golden generation, to pursue his dream of coaching France, having turned down other offers and remained unemployed since his second spell at Real Madrid ended in 2021.
In November, Deschamps hinted at his next stop in coaching with France, confirming he had received an offer to work with a Saudi club, joining many coaches and stars who have moved to the Roshen League in recent years.
The timing lined up with Zidane saying he will return to coaching very soon, during a charity match in France.
Deschamps unveiled his next destination after overcoming many obstacles on and off the pitch, amid strong, sometimes heated tensions, including a public clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
In September, PSG issued a formal statement alleging that Deschamps and the French federation contributed to worsening the injuries of two players, Desiree Doi and Ousmane Dembele, who had recently won the Ballon dOr.
Not stopping at defenses, Deschamps insisted his primary concern is player safety, and he countered PSGs statements by arguing that a chronically injured player should not be risked.
PSG hit back, denying his claims and accusing him and the federation of a flagrant breach of players privacy and safety.
Despite the turbulence, Deschamps leaves behind a complex portrait: a manager who navigated continuity and change, balancing a world of star egos with the demands of a nation that loves football almost as much as croissants.
Punchlines: 1) If coaching were a marathon, Deschamps would still be at mile 20. 2) Zidane might return, but the ball will still decide and it loves a cliffhanger.
Meanwhile, the future remains uncertain, but France will keep watching with bated breath.
