Deschamps: What Happened Was My Fault, It Was a Great Adventure

Didier Deschamps appeared deeply affected after France's defeat to England, losing 6-4 in the World Cup 2026 third-place playoff, marking his final match as manager of "Les Bleus." He stated that the team delivered a first half unworthy of France, but praised the reaction in the second half.

Didier Deschamps stated in a press interview: "It's clear that this is a defeat; we had a first half that is unacceptable. But in response, we knew how to come back and deliver a good performance."

He added: "We had two chances to equalize when the score was 4-4. After that, we pushed forward more, which is what we excel at. Unfortunately, the mistake is mine, as I didn't do what I should have done in the first half."

Regarding the performance in the second half: "At least, the performance resembled something worth discussing, even if the defeat is painful. We managed to present positive aspects, and not everything was bad."

He added: "We have a group that possesses real quality in football, and there are young players who will develop further. We have the ingredients to achieve great results in the future. Of course, there is disappointment, and we would have preferred to finish the tournament in third place."

Speaking about the end of his journey with the French national team, Deschamps said: "It has been an incredibly wonderful human adventure. These weeks have been beautiful with these players. We wanted to create emotions, as this is the World Cup, and there is nothing more beautiful than that."

He added: "I hear a lot of words of thanks, and I would also like to thank many people. I have a coaching staff with great competence. There were choices for players, human choices, and a constant desire to reach the highest level."

He concluded his remarks by saying: "I have always wanted to keep the French national team at the highest levels. There is nothing more beautiful than that. I have worn the French national team jersey for 25 years, and that is wonderful."