France head coach Didier Deschamps is temporarily leaving the national team's camp due to a severe personal tragedy. His mother has passed away, and the "Les Bleus" manager will return to France to be with his loved ones and organize the funeral.
Deschamps learned the sad news on Tuesday morning. Immediately afterward, he received full support from the president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo. The coach will spend a few days in his home country and then return to North America for France's first match of the knockout phase of the 2026 World Cup.
Due to the circumstances, Didier Deschamps will not attend the "Les Bleus" training sessions before the final group stage match, nor the match itself against "Norway" on Friday. The meeting will be a direct clash for first place in Group "I," as both teams have already secured their participation in the knockout stages with a perfect record in the first two rounds.
For the period of Deschamps' absence, the preparation and management of the team will be entrusted to his long-time assistant, Guy Stéphan. He will lead the training sessions and will be at the helm of France during the match against Norway.
"In agreement with Philippe Diallo, the president of the French Football Federation, who was present at the French team's base camp, Didier Deschamps has entrusted his assistant Guy Stéphan with the responsibility of managing the team until his return," the federation stated in an official announcement.
The news of Deschamps' personal tragedy comes at a time when "France" is performing strongly at the 2026 World Cup and is among the favorites for the trophy. The temporary change in leadership will not alter the team's goals, but it places an additional emotional focus on the upcoming matches for "Les Bleus."