France coach Didier Deschamps faces personal loss as Mbappé drives World Cup goal chase

During the 2026 World Cup in the United States, France manager Didier Deschamps learned that his mother had died. The French squad observed a minute of silence, and captain Kylian Mbappé posted on Instagram to express solidarity with the coach, sharing an image of the team in a moment of remembrance. Assistant coach Guy Stéphan took charge of the team’s upcoming group match against Norway, while the squad maintained its focus on the tournament.

In France’s 3‑0 victory over Iraq, Mbappé scored two goals, bringing his World Cup tally to 16 and tying Miroslav Klose’s all‑time record. He now trails Lionel Messi by two goals. After the match, Deschamps commented that “records are there to be broken,” highlighting Mbappé’s pursuit of the all‑time scoring record despite weather‑related delays that forced a lengthy rain interruption.