It was an evening when, in Didier Deschamps’ words, the spark had vanished by the interval. A revamped French team had been easily defeated by Italy in their Nations League opener, and the Parisian supporters left no doubt about their discontent at the final whistle. Three days later, the traveling show of Les Bleus headed to Lyon for a clash with Belgium, where the coach’s name was jeered before the match began. Deschamps put this down to regional rivalries, but there was an unmistakable feeling that a once-celebrated reign was wearing thin.
Nearly two years later, Deschamps is on the brink of true greatness. What other verdict is possible if, with the next six days falling in his favor, he becomes only the second coach ever to lift the World Cup twice? The energy has unquestionably returned for France and will skyrocket if they confirm his revival against Spain.
Dallas will stage an ideal gauge of the sort of transformation that distinguishes the genuinely top-level managers from the others. A Spain side driven by Lamine Yamal were the adversaries in Munich when France were justly defeated in the Euro 2024 semifinals. Compared to their rivals, France appeared sluggish, drained, and constrained. A decade in charge seemed a neat milestone at which to end the partnership with Deschamps. The emerging generation of French talent required permission to soar.
Deschamps has granted it, and it appears he was serious when, following the disappointment in Germany, he vowed to breathe fresh vitality into the national side. A manager known for his pragmatic approach has thrown off the restraints and tapped into a fresh dynamism. No one has matched the pace, sharpness, diversity, and pure excellence of France’s forward line this summer.
The “water carrier,” as Eric Cantona once scornfully labelled him during his playing days, has forged a team that spits flames. Over the years, it has been easy to disregard Deschamps as little more than a steward fortunate to preside over an unending supply line of talent. Were France simply too gifted to stumble? Even as they strolled to the 2018 World Cup, he faced claims they were performing well within their limits. At the European Championship, his position was shakier when critics charged that he lacked an attacking strategy beyond depending on Kylian Mbappé’s flashes of genius. Deschamps has not always been recognised for imposing his own influence.
Michael Olise has contributed new energy to the French attack. Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images
That will certainly shift if he departs with the sport’s greatest trophy in New Jersey. Some within the France setup feel that Deschamps’ choice to step down after this tournament, revealed in January 2025, has brought a sense of freedom. It has undeniably reduced the pressure, since a new coach, likely Zinedine Zidane, will shortly be tasked with shaping a long-term vision. Deschamps has had a year and a half to prepare this final adventure without swatting away questions about his future. Bowing out meekly would benefit no one.
Spain recognize they will encounter a different animal this time. They were the test subjects for Deschamps’ new system when, in June 2025, the two sides played out a breathtaking Nations League semifinal in Stuttgart. By then, Deschamps had implemented his most important adjustment, removing one midfielder and essentially deploying four attackers in a 4-2-3-1 shape. It was first trialed on that sullen evening against Italy, when Michael Olise finally earned his senior cap. Then the golden touch arrived: Olise was accompanied by Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé and, naturally, Mbappé against Spain. France lost 5-4, but a tantalizing blueprint had been established.
The same four are expected to start when the sides clash again on Tuesday. It’s fair to note that Deschamps has benefited from the relatively light burden on his Paris Saint-Germain contingent, who were rotated extensively during the Champions League winners’ straightforward domestic league season. An effervescent Bradley Barcola, who would unquestionably be a guaranteed starter for almost any other nation, provides that freshness alongside Doué and Dembélé. France appear rejuvenated, as sharp as they are smooth, and capable of outlasting any opponent.
It was never certain that Deschamps would smoothly navigate a transition that moved Hugo Lloris, Raphaël Varane, Olivier Giroud, and Antoine Griezmann out of the picture following their glittering international careers. Griezmann’s retirement from the national team in September 2024 was especially poignant, given the bond they shared.
Yet Deschamps has connected with the younger crop. Throughout the squad, there is recognition that he has grown more approachable and available. France are together, and channels of communication are open. In the modern game, it’s never sufficient to simply toss eleven elite players onto the field and hope. Deschamps has discovered a method to make every piece of his setup function smoothly.
‘He is driven by a purpose’: Didier Deschamps has extracted peak performance from Kylian Mbappé at this World Cup. Photograph: Tullio Puglia/FIFA/Getty Images
This includes Mbappé, who hugged Deschamps after netting France’s first goal against Sweden in the round of 32. The coach had returned after missing the Norway match due to his mother’s passing. “I told you from the very start, he is on a mission,” Deschamps said of Mbappé, whose drive to erase the painful memory of Qatar 2022 is unmistakable. Their connection has been likened to the bond Deschamps had with Aimé Jacquet in 1998, when he wore the armband and raised the World Cup on home soil.
Maybe history will echo again in New Jersey on Sunday. Spain will pose France’s most comprehensive test by far, with a below-strength Senegal and a reserve Norway side failing to require the level of effort anticipated in the group stage. The week ahead could decide whether Deschamps, still just 57, is recalled as one of the all-time greats. Securing trophies with different generations, in markedly contrasting styles, is the finest yardstick there is. Out of the shadows, Deschamps and France can catch sight of a brilliant prize at the conclusion of their shared path.
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