France beats Norway 4-1 at World Cup as coach Didier Deschamps mourns mother’s death

France’s head coach Didier Deschamps missed the final Group I match of the 2026 World Cup after his mother died. He returned to France for the funeral while assistant coach Guy Stephan took charge of the squad in Boston.

The French Football Federation asked FIFA to allow the team to wear black armbands in honour of Deschamps’s mother, but the request was denied. A minute of silence was observed, but it was dedicated to the victims of the recent Venezuelan earthquake rather than to Deschamps’s family.

Under Stephan’s guidance France defeated Norway 4‑1. Ousmane Dembélé scored a hat‑trick in the first half – the second‑fastest in World Cup history – and Desire Doué added a late header. The win secured first place in Group I and set up a round‑of‑32 clash with Sweden. Deschamps is expected to rejoin training on Saturday.