World Cup 2026: Didier Deschamps to miss France's final group match due to death of his mother
Lucía Jiménez
— · 1 min read
France coach Didier Deschamps will miss his side's final World Cup group match, the France Football Federation (FFF) has confirmed. Deschamps, who is 57, learned of his mother's death on Tuesday morning and has been given permission by FFF president Philippe Diallo to return to France to attend the funeral. France, who have already qualified for the knockout stage after defeating Senegal and Iraq in their first two matches, will face Norway in Boston on Friday to decide the winner of Group I. A statement from the FFF said that assistant coach Guy Stephane will entertain the team until Deschamps returns. As a player, Deschamps won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000. He became the manager of the national team in 2012 and won the World Cup final in Russia in 2018 and lost the final to Argentina in 2022. France beat Senegal 3-1 in New Jersey last week, followed by a 3-0 win against Iraq in Philadelphia with a two-hour delay.
