Coach Didier Deschamps Leaves 2026 World Cup After Mother’s Death

French national team coach Didier Deschamps, 57, departed the 2026 World Cup camp on 23 June after being informed that his mother had died. The French Football Federation announced he would miss the training session before France’s group match against Norway on 26 June and would not be on the bench for that game. Assistant coach Guy Stéphan was named to lead the squad temporarily.

France had already secured a place in the knockout stage with 3‑1 victories over Senegal and 3‑0 over Iraq, but the final group match against Norway would determine the group winner. The team observed a minute of silence for Deschamps’s loss, and the federation expressed full support for the coach, noting that the 2026 tournament was intended to be his last before stepping down after more than a dozen years in charge.