Didier Deschamps Sets 14-Year France Exit Before World Cup

Ousmane Dembele said didier deschamps' departure will not pull France off course before the World Cup, and the forward said the squad wants to finish the manager's 14-year reign by reaching the final. France are moving into a tournament built around a coach who has already delivered World Cup glory in 2018 and a runners-up finish four years ago.

Dembele backs Deschamps

"We know it's the last competition for the coach [Deschamps]" Dembele said on Saturday. He added that France are trying to keep the focus on the tournament rather than the farewell, saying, "That's what we're essentially focused on. His leaving isn't really impacting our mentality in this tournament; we want to finish well with him by reaching the World Cup final."

Dembele also said, "He's at a very high level, who has a lot of results with the French team. We're very happy to have him, of course. We already played the World Cup with him."

Deschamps' record with France

Deschamps announced in January that he would step down after a 14-year tenure. His France side won the Nations League in 2020-21, and his overall record stands at 114 wins from 178 matches, with 35 draws and 29 defeats.

The manager's run also includes the 2018 World Cup title and the runners-up place four years ago after France lost to Argentina on penalties. That makes the final stretch of his tenure a heavy backdrop for a squad trying to keep its own tournament plans intact.

France Before North America

France are set to face Northern Ireland at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Monday before traveling to North America for the World Cup. Dembele did not play in the 2-1 defeat to Ivory Coast because of his involvement in Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League victory over Arsenal, while Rayan Cherki scored France's opener and Guela Doue and Amad Diallo scored for Ivory Coast in the second half.

Dembele said Argentina are among the favorites as the reigning champions, and he listed Spain, England, Portugal, Germany, Brazil and Ecuador among the teams France will have to navigate. France's Group I campaign begins on June 16 against Senegal, with Iraq and Norway also in the group.