Ahead of France's FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff against England on Saturday, local time, captain Kylian Mbappe turned to social media to salute outgoing coach Didier Deschamps, whose fourteen-year reign at the helm of the French national team comes to a close after this game in Miami.
Mbappe posted an emotional note on X, marking the occasion as Deschamps' last match in charge of France. He thanked the coach for the fourteen years he had spent building and reviving the national side, and admitted that the squad had wished to hand him a happier farewell after France's World Cup run came up short at the semi-final stage. "We should have offered you a better ending, but we failed," Mbappe wrote, a line that captured the mood of a dressing room that had hoped to send its departing coach off with one more trophy rather than a defeat.
A Legacy Too Big for Words
In the rest of his post, Mbappe said it was difficult to put into words everything Deschamps had brought to the team over fourteen years, describing him as a major figure in the side's revival. He added that people had not always known how to appreciate Deschamps' greatness during his time in charge, but said he was confident that time and football history would eventually give the coach the recognition he deserved.
A Personal Thank You
Mbappe also used the post to thank Deschamps on a personal level. He said he felt privileged to have been given the chance to represent his country on the biggest stage for so many years, and to have stood alongside a coach he called one of the greatest legends in French football. He said he would carry only excellent memories of everything the team had lived through and achieved together, wished Deschamps success in his next venture, and thanked him again for everything he had given to a jersey that means so much to the players and to France.
A Reign That Began in 2012
Deschamps took charge of the France team in 2012 and went on to become one of the most successful coaches in the country's football history. Under him, France won the FIFA World Cup title in 2018 and reached another final in 2022. His long reign is now coming to an end after France's 2026 World Cup campaign, which had been aiming for a third consecutive final appearance.
Campaign Ends Against Spain
That campaign ended when France lost 2-0 to Spain in the 2026 semi-finals, closing the door on the final and setting up Saturday's third-place match in Miami against England instead. That fixture now carries extra weight, doubling as Didier Deschamps' farewell game after fourteen years in charge of the French national team.
