Camavinga Marks Deschamps' 2026 World Cup Farewell Plan
camavinga is part of a France squad preparing for Didier Deschamps’ final tournament, after the coach said in January 2025 that he will leave after the 2026 World Cup. The 14-year run gives Tuesday’s debut against Senegal in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a different edge: this is the start of a farewell campaign, not just another group-stage opener.
Deschamps and France
Deschamps has spent 14 years in charge and already built the strongest record of his time with France. He won the 2018 World Cup in Russia, then took France back to the 2022 final, where it lost to Argentina on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
France also reached the semifinals of Euro 2024 in Germany and lost 2-1 to Spain. That run is the complication in the backdrop of the farewell: the team has stayed near the top of the international game, but the last two major tournaments ended short of a title.
Macron on Deschamps
Emmanuel Macron added a public note to the coach’s send-off, telling Ouest-France: "Como cada francés, echaré de menos a DD, su fuerza tranquila, su calma ante la adversidad, sus cualidades humanas excepcionales". He also said Deschamps "ha sido para nosotros el seleccionador de los días felices" while recalling France’s 2018 World Cup victory.
Deschamps has described himself as "supermotivado" during his final campaign, and a source close to the coach called him "un animal de competición" before the start of France’s training camp. On the first day there, he joked about blood tests by saying, "Esta mañana me hicieron, como siempre, un análisis de sangre y me dijeron que era mi último análisis de sangre. Respondí que seguramente habría otros después".
Zidane and the Next Move
Zinédine Zidane is the likely successor after the tournament in North America, which turns every France match into part of a countdown as well as a title bid. Deschamps has also brought several Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalists into the squad, including Michael Olise, giving this last run a younger edge without changing the central fact: the coach who won in 2018 is set to walk away after 2026.
For France, that means the opening against Senegal is already carrying more than the usual group-stage weight. The result will still count first, but the campaign is now also a measure of how Deschamps finishes a 14-year job before Zidane, if the expected handover holds, takes over afterward.
