French football team's head coach Didier Deschamps has extended his contract with the Les Bleus side after leading them to consecutive FIFA World Cup finals in 2018 and 2022. Deschamps, who took over the coaching role in 2012, will stay with the team till 2026. He led France to win the 2018 World Cup while his men fell just short in 2022, going down to Lionel Messi's Argentina in penalties.
The French Football Federation announced the contract extension on Saturday. Sharing a statement on their social media handle, the country's Football association wrote, "The French Football Federation and Noël Le Graët, its president, are pleased to announce the extension of Didier Deschamps at the head of the French team until June 2026." Highlighting the performance of Deschamps, the statement read, "Under his leadership, the French team notably won the 2018 World Cup, the 2021 Nations League, reached the final of Euro 2016 and of the 2022 World Cup. It is currently in 3rd place in the standings. FIFA where she has consistently been in the top four for the past five years."
Also, Deschamps' assistant Guy Stéphan, goalkeeping coach Franck Raviot, and physical trainer Cyril Moine will continue with the French team. Under Deschamps France has won 89, drawn 28 and lost just 22, scoring 279 goals and conceding 119. "In Qatar we almost achieved what we wanted to do, winning the World Cup. There were a lot of positives to take," Deschamps said on Saturday.
France had a memorable World Cup in Qatar. Even with some big players missing due to injuries, France outclassed many teams in the tournament. They topped Group D before beating Poland in the round of 16. They defeated England in the quarterfinal and Morocco in the semifinal. For France, Kylian Mbappe was the big highlight as he won the Golden Boot award, scoring the most goals (8). He also scored a hat trick in the final.
The French team received a rousing welcome when they returned home from Qatar. "Coming back to France, I realized how much emotion and passion a World Cup can generate. We had a lot of support. You can count on me to keep France at the highest level," Deschamps added. When they reached home, their supporters gathered at a square in Central Paris to welcome Hugo Lloris' side. Les Bleus went to the square straightaway after reaching France. The players stood on the balcony of the Crillon Hotel and waved and thanked the supporters.
(Inputs from PTI)
