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‘They had already moved on to Zidane’ — Didier Deschamps felt left isolated by French FA during 2026 World Cup

Didier Deschamps’ celebrated spell as France manager came to an end amid feelings of isolation and frustration, according to fresh details about his final tournament. The World Cup-winning coach is said to have believed that the French Football Federation (FFF) had already mentally shifted its focus to his successor before he had even completed his responsibilities.

Internal friction at the 2026 World Cup

The end of Didier Deschamps’ historic 14-year stint as France manager was overshadowed by bitterness and a sense of being cut off. In spite of his unmatched achievements, including lifting the 2018 World Cup, Deschamps reportedly felt that the French Football Federation (FFF) had become distant towards him during his last tournament in the United States.

Speaking about his choice to step down after the tournament, Deschamps was direct about the pressure surrounding him. “It’s for the good of the French team. To be honest, I didn’t make this decision for myself. Because the environment was so unbearable towards me, the French team doesn’t deserve that,” he said.

According to the former Marseille coach, the strain hit breaking point after Les Bleus were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup.

The shadow of Zidane

During the closing phase of Deschamps’ tenure, the presence of Zinedine Zidane hung heavily over the France national team. Public demand to see the former Real Madrid manager take charge created a difficult atmosphere for Deschamps, who felt that the FFF was already actively getting ready for the handover.

In an interview with Paris Match on Sunday, journalist François Vignolle, co-author of the book ‘Des étoiles dans leurs yeux’, said the manager felt there was a clear lack of support.

Vignolle spoke of a major divide at the team’s base, saying there was something like a Boston wall between the Four Seasons Hotel, where the squad was staying, and the group around FFF president Philippe Diallo. This feeling of being abandoned by the hierarchy left Deschamps exposed and insufficiently valued despite his many years of service to the country. The impression that the FFF was already in discussions with, or at least psychologically committed to, Zidane made Deschamps feel that his position was secure only until the competition’s final whistle.

Relieving the pressure on Diallo

Deschamps tried to seize control of the narrative early in 2025 by confirming that he would leave after the 2026 World Cup. In doing so, he intended to clear the atmosphere and let the team concentrate on its footballing aims without the constant noise of speculation over his future. The move was viewed as a way to “relieve” both himself and the federation from growing media pressure.

That early declaration was meant to stop the endless discussion over who would replace him, which threatened to unsettle the squad’s build-up. “And in fact, he knows that he will put an end to all the controversies about who will replace him and who could disrupt the end of his term and especially the preparation of his team. So on that point, I think he leaves a little lighter and above all he removes a thorn from Diallo’s side regarding his communication. It is much easier for the latter to then talk with Zinedine Zidane, who is the coach who is preferred by the public,” Vignolle explained.

A bitter end to a legendary era

Despite everything he achieved over his long spell in charge, Deschamps left the role with a heavy heart. The man who captained France to their first World Cup in 1998 and then managed them to their second in 2018 found the modern political environment inside the FFF difficult to handle. His final months became a battle to preserve authority while being aware that those above him were already looking towards his successor.

In the end, Deschamps’ departure closes the most stable and successful chapter in the history of the France national team, though it finished with considerable tension. Vignolle concluded that the manager’s public remarks were a direct expression of that hurt. “Didier Deschamps is a very sensitive person, paradoxically. His statement on M6 — that it had become unbearable — also applied to the French Football Federation,” the journalist said.