France national team manager Didier Deschamps has announced that he will leave his position after the 2026 World Cup. Deschamps, who took over as manager in 2012, has led France to several successes, including winning the 2018 World Cup and reaching the 2022 final.

In an interview with TF1, Deschamps confirmed that he will allow his contract to expire after the 2026 tournament. “I’ve been here since 2012, and I will remain until 2026 and the next World Cup,” he said. “But it will end there because it has to.”

Deschamps’ decision to step down has sparked speculation about his potential successor. According to L’Equipe, former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is the leading candidate to take over as France manager in 2026. Zidane has long been linked with the role and is reportedly eager to take charge of Les Bleus.

Other potential candidates include Thierry Henry, who resigned as France Under-21 manager last summer.

Deschamps’ departure will mark the end of an era for France, but he is confident that the team will continue to thrive under new leadership. “The most important thing is for France to remain on top, like it has for several years,” he said.

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France head coach Didier Deschamps has addressed the controversy surrounding Kylian Mbappe’s absence from the French squad for the Nations League 2024.

Many were surprised when the Real Madrid star’s name was missing from the squad list, especially since Mbappé had played in recent games for his club against Lille and Villarreal, despite being declared unfit for international duty.

This situation fueled speculation that Real Madrid might influence decisions regarding Mbappé’s availability for international matches, leading to criticism of the player for allegedly avoiding national team responsibilities.

In a recent interview, Deschamps clarified that the decision to leave Mbappé out of the squad was entirely his own, and not influenced by external factors.

He insisted it was based on the player’s fitness and a precautionary measure to ensure Mbappé’s well-being, rather than any interference from Real Madrid or Mbappé himself.

He had said: “Mbappe was not fit against Villarreal. There was no request. The decision is mine. He played the Villarreal game without being 100 percent fit.”

Kylian Mbappé has been grappling with match fitness issues after sustaining a knock in the lead-up to his last two fixtures for Real Madrid before the international break. Despite featuring in those games, concerns about his fitness persisted, ultimately influencing his exclusion from France’s Nations League 2024 squad.

His ongoing struggle with recovery has prompted caution from both his club and the national team, with an emphasis on ensuring he fully regains his form before returning to peak performance.

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Didier Deschamps disclosed whether Paul Pogba has a future with the French national team and acknowledged that he had spoken with the midfielder.

Pogba, who was instrumental in France’s 2018 World Cup victory, has an unclear future after receiving a four-year suspension for failing a drug test. The former Manchester United player’s future in professional football is seriously dubious given the latest verdict, which will keep him out of action until he is 35.

Deschamps sympathized with Pogba’s situation and hoped that the player would be able to return to the field as soon as feasible.

• “I’ve spoken to him. Psychologically, it’s hard,” Deschamps told reporters.

  “The ruling was tough; he filed an appeal, so there will be another judgment. He is going to defend himself with all his strength. I don’t like to be definite about the future. Above all, I hope he can regain the pleasure of playing on the field and then find the France national team again.”

• The Italian anti-doping commission imposed a precautionary suspension on the midfield player, which has prevented him from practicing with Juventus since September 2023. Despite this setback, Pogba’s legal team is standing firm, saying they will challenge the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and strongly deny any intentional misconduct.

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Didier Deschamps has chosen Kylian Mbappe the new captain of the French national team and Antoine Griezmann (32) the vice-captain ahead of their Euro 2024 qualifying matches.

Hugo Lloris, the former captain of Les Bleus, retired from international football after the 2022 World Cup, and Deschamps was entrusted with replacing him. ESPN,reports that the manager told the French team Monday night that Mbappe will wear the captain’s armband.

The superstar of Paris Saint-Germain, who had 36 goals in 66 international games, was named the new captain of France on Tuesday after Deschamps made his choice known in an interview with Telefoot.

“Kylian Mbappe is the new captain of the Blues. Antoine Griezmann is the vice-captain,” he said. “Kylian meets all the boxes to have this responsibility. On the field as in group life, by being a unifying element.”

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Before informing the rest of the team of his decision, Deschamps reportedly talked with Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann on Monday at Clairefontaine, the training facility for the French team.

Mbappe has previously captained France once, against Denmark, in a Nations League match in September.

He will now be one of the youngest captains in Les Bleus history, with Deschamps sure that the 24-year-old has grown enough to lead the team following his spectacular performance at the 2022 World Cup.

Lloris served as France’s captain for 14 years, from 2008 to 2022, making him one of the country’s longest-serving captains.

In a 2024 European Championship qualifying match on Friday at the Stadium de France against the Netherlands, Mbappe’s tenure as France’s national team captain and Antoine Griezmann the vice-captain will begin.

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France manager Didier Deschamps has discussed his thoughts on the possibility of selecting Kylian Mbappe as the new captain of his team.

Deschamps is tasked with succeeding longtime captain Lloris after the 36-year-old goalkeeper decided to retire from international football, bringing in what appears to be the start of a new era for Les Bleus following their heartbreaking World Cup final loss to Argentina in December 2022.

There is also plenty of opportunity for their young players to shine and for a new captain to emerge now that Raphael Varane has also withdrawn from competing on the international scene.

Quizzed on who would assume the role of captain ahead of their Euro 2024 qualifiers, Deschamps explained his thinking: “I’m going to use these first few days with the group to discuss it with the players concerned. Obviously, Kylian is one of those players. So, you’ll know a bit more the next time I see you. In other words, the day before the game, on Thursday.”

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He added: “I think if he [Mbappe] has one quality, in addition to all his other qualities, it’s that he’s someone who is pretty good, very good at communication. So, I don’t think that’s a problem on that side. But, well, I can’t tell you any more because I haven’t decided today.”

The 24-year-old took the armband for Paris Saint-Germain when they suffered a shocking 2-0 loss at home to Rennes over the weekend. He did so to show his leadership abilities, and Deschamps himself has predicted that he will become the next captain of France.

However, his manager maintained that no decision has been made: “Of course, I watch the games. But Kylian’s situation or any player’s situation at club level is not the same as the one he has here with the national team, so it will not be a way for me to choose.”

The France manager asserted that there are “various sorts of captaincy,” and came to the conclusion that Christophe Galtier of PSG wouldn’t have any impact on his own judgments.

Les Bleus kick off their qualifying campaign for the upcoming European Championships against the Netherlands on Friday.

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France’s record goalscorer, Olivier Giroud, insists he will not be following Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane into international retirement.

The experienced forward, who has a record-breaking total of 56 goals in 120 games for his country, is now 36 years old.

Giroud is, however, still going strong at club level with Serie A giants AC Milan and believes he has plenty to offer Les Bleus on the back of a gut-wrenching defeat to Argentina in the final of the 2022 World Cup.

Giroud has told France 2 when asked if he plans on ruling himself out of contention for future call-ups from national team coach Didier Deschamps: “No, no, it’s not over. Emotions, I hope there will still be some to come.

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I’m not ready to hang up [my boots], to take off this blue jersey which is close to my heart. I have the motivation to continue and the physique too, I feel good. For the moment I am still selectable and a player of the France team.”

At the World Cup finals in Qatar, Giroud passed the iconic Thierry Henry to become France’s top scorer, and since then, players like Benzema, Varane, and the victorious 2018 captain Hugo Lloris have retired from international competition.

With Giroud intending to play on, he will hope to figure prominently for France when they get their Euro 2024 qualification underway against the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland in March.

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The three finalists for The Best FIFA Men’s Coach award have been announced as Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, and Lionel Scaloni.

Last year’s winner was Thomas Tuchel, who ended Jurgen Klopp’s two-year reign with the trophy by finishing on top of a podium which also included Italy’s Roberto Mancini in second and Guardiola in third.

The manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, is back for another chance at winning the award, competing against Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid and Scaloni of Argentina.

Didier Deschamps of France and Walid Regragui of Morocco were both on the original five-person shortlist; however, the final three were chosen by an international panel made up of men’s national team coaches, captains, football journalists, and fans.

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The award, which recognizes a coach’s accomplishments from August 8, 2021, to December 18, 2022, will be presented on February 27 in Paris.

None of Ancelotti, Guardiola or Scaloni have ever won the award before. Indeed, Guardiola is the only one of the trio to make the final three, coming third last year and second in 2019.

After leading his team to Premier League victory, the City manager will be hoping to surpass that feat this time around. However, he will face opposition from the winners of two other significant titles.

Real Madrid won La Liga and the Champions League under Ancelotti, while Scaloni’s breakthrough came on the international stage when he guided Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar.

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Raphael Varane has announced his retirement from international football after earning 93 caps and a World Cup victory with France.

The elegant centre-half, who plays Premier League powerhouse Manchester United in club competition, is only 29 years old.

However, he has been a part of the French national team setup since 2013, and he assisted them in winning the World Cup in 2018, as well as winning the UEFA Nations League in 2021 and making another appearance in the World Cup final in 2022.

Le Parisien initially reported that Varane is following the lead of fellow countryman Hugo Lloris by walking away from the France squad.

It is suggested that a heavy schedule of domestic and international football is taking its toll on the former Real Madrid defender and he now wants to spend more time with his family.

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Varane has officially announced his international retirement in a post on Instagram, which reads: “Representing our great country for a decade has been one of the greatest honours of my life. I’ve been contemplating this for several months and deciding it’s the right time for me to retire internationally. I will miss the moment with you for sure but the time has come for the new generation to take over. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

 

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Varane made his debut for France in a March 2013 match against Georgia. He remained a starter for Les Bleus all the way up till their 4-2 victory over Croatia in the 2022 World Cup final. He has been a dependable choice for Didier Deschamps lately, but he is prepared to concentrate just on what is happening at Manchester United.

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FIFA have revealed a five-man shortlist for The Best Men’s Coach award for 2022.

The Awards for this year will be determined based on performances from August 2021 until the end of the World Cup in December 2022.

Lionel Scaloni, the head coach of Argentina, has been nominated for the honour following their thrilling victory in Qatar. In addition, he led La Albiceleste to a 43-game winning streak, with their lone setback coming in the World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia.

The manager Scaloni defeated in the final, France’s Didier Deschamps, is also up for the award. The former defensive midfielder took home the award in 2018 following Les Bleus’ World Cup glory, while he has steered his country to three finals in their last four major tournaments. France also won the 2021 Nations League.

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Walid Regragui of Morocco is the other international manager on the shortlist. Before the Atlas Lions became the first side from the continent to get to the semifinals, he became the first African coach to reach a World Cup quarterfinal.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is up for the award after winning a Champions League and La Liga double last season, becoming the first coach in history to claim the league title in all of Europe’s top five leagues.

Pep Guardiola of Manchester City completes the shortlist after leading his team to consecutive Premier League titles.

Voting will take place from January 12 until February 3. On the FIFA website, polls are currently up for voting. Fans, national captains, national coaches, and media representatives will each receive 25% of the vote.

The Best Men’s Coach 2022 shortlist

• Lionel Scaloni
• Didier Deschamps
• Walid Regragui
• Carlo Ancelotti
• Pep Guardiola

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Hugo Lloris has responded to allegations suggesting that he contributed to Karim Benzema being prevented from rejoining France’s 2022 World Cup squad.

The Real Madrid striker, who had just received the prestigious Ballon d’Or trophy, was forced to withdraw from Les Bleus’ plans in Qatar prior to the tournament due to an unfortunate injury.

He did return to training in time to figure in the knockout stages, as Didier Deschamps’ side ultimately came up short in an epic final clash with Argentina, but there were rumours of senior stars in France’s ranks blocking any potential recall – with said snub ultimately leading to Benzema announcing his international retirement.

Lloris, as national team captain prior to his own retirement announcement, was said to have led the calls for Benzema to be ostracised, but the Tottenham goalkeeper has told l’Equipe of those accusations: “There are a lot of things that have been said, which are either false or ridiculous: the atmosphere was very good before he left, and very good after. 

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But we would all have preferred that the Ballon d’Or winner, when we see what he has brought since his return, could be with us. He’s still a major asset!

“To say that we would have pushed for him to leave is completely false, and I do not see how we would benefit from that. He was essential for 18 months, he helped us win the Nations League, his return would only have been positive. It is really dishonest to claim that some of us were in favour of his departure. When you approach a World Cup, you want to do it with your best players.”

Lloris added on Benzema’s departure, which came on the back of picking up a thigh injury in training: “For Karim, we were all a little surprised. What we as players experienced with his departure is this: you train in the evening, he gets injured, you go to bed, and the next day when you get up you are told that Karim has left. Everything happened so quickly. It was presented as a medical package, and we, the players, discovered it in the morning, in a period when something was happening almost every day.”

After 97 appearances for France, in which he scored 37 goals, Benzema announced the end of his international career. The 35-year-old frontman is now entirely focused on Real Madrid’s club business; 2018 World Cup winner Lloris is now in a comparable position at Spurs after making an unprecedented 145 appearances for his nation.

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Diego Simeone has applauded Antoine Griezmann for putting on a succession of strong performances for France at the 2022 World Cup, proving his critics wrong.

The France international was a key playmaker in Qatar, helping Didier Deschamp’s team get to back-to-back World Cup finals.

Throughout the competition, he assisted three goals, notably Olivier Giroud’s decisive goal against England in the quarterfinals, with a magnificent cross he provided for Kylian Mbappe.

Simeone has never questioned Griezmann’s involvement and believes his performances in Qatar hushed his critics.

Griezmann was criticized for his Atletico Madrid performances in the first part of the season because it was implied he wasn’t giving everything he had.

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“You have to go back and remember seven days before the World Cup, how he played in the first game [in the Copa del Rey] we had. He did it with the same dedication, the same commitment,” The Atletico boss has told reporters.

“Antoine always wanted to be here. He regained the affection of the fans; [on] the field [he] speaks, and it is a good image for his teammates, wanting them to reach an important level. He is an extraordinary player despite the fact that many, many, thought otherwise.”

Griezmann has recorded six goals and eight assists in 23 appearances for Atletico this season despite being forced to accept a bench role before sealing a permanent return to the club from Barcelona in October.

Three of those assists have come in Atletico’s last two matches, including their 2-0 win over Oviedo in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

The French forward will be eager to give his all against his former club Barcelona in a vital La Liga match at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday.

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