Didier Deschamps' tenure ends as France coach amid Mbappé positioning debate

France’s men’s national team will part ways with head coach Didier Deschamps after the World Cup in France. Deschamps, who captained France to the 1998 title and led them to the 2018 World Cup victory, a Euro 2016 final, and a Nations League win in 2021, said he is focused on his final duties and is not dwelling on emotions.

In the lead‑up friendlies, the French side faced criticism over the deployment of Kylian Mbappé as a central striker rather than his usual wing role. Deschamps responded sharply to the critics, noting that Mbappé has spent recent seasons at PSG and Real Madrid playing as a central forward and that the experiment is not a “spontaneous” decision. The coach emphasized that the team continues to work and improve despite the mixed results in the warm‑up matches.