France national football team manager Didier Deschamps will miss his side’s final Group I match against Norway at the 2026 World Cup on Friday following the death of his mother, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced today.
“Didier Deschamps will be unable to conduct the training sessions leading up to the Norway-France match. He will also be absent from the bench for the Blues’ final game in Group I. The French team was informed this morning of the passing of his mother. The coach will return to France to attend the funeral,” the FFF stated in a press release published on its official website.
The governing body further noted that during the absence of the 57-year-old manager, the French national team will be led by assistant coach Guy Stéphan. “In this difficult hour, we wish our manager great strength and express the full support of everyone at the federation,” the statement added.
Following victories over Senegal (3-1) and Iraq (3-0), France currently leads Group I with six points, tied with Norway, who also defeated the Iraqis (4-1) and the Senegaleses (3-2). Both the French and the Nordics have already secured their qualification for the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup.
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The clash between the two nations, scheduled for Friday at 20:00 (Lisbon time) in Foxborough, United States, will decide who finishes in first and second place in the group.
The World Cup, which is taking place across the United States, Mexico, and Canada until July 19, marks the final tournament for Didier Deschamps at the helm of the Blues, whom he has managed for 14 years since 2012. According to international media reports, he is expected to be succeeded by his former international teammate, Zinedine Zidane.
As France manager, Deschamps won the World Cup in 2018 and the Nations League in 2021, while also reaching the finals of Euro 2016, which they lost at home to Portugal, and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
