Rayan Cherki was filmed after France’s 3-0 win over Suède appearing to ignore Didier Deschamps. The clip spread quickly and turned a brief postmatch moment into a short online controversy.
That reaction came despite the fact that Cherki returned to the dressing room smiling on Tuesday and trained normally on Wednesday. He has played only 55 minutes across four matches, with his lone notable chance coming in the 85e against Suède.
Deschamps and the Bleus
Deschamps did not see any problem with the scene. Inside the France camp, the staff already knew Cherki was dealing with a very heavy off-field situation, and the response around him was handled quickly rather than allowed to grow.
The wider context is straightforward: Cherki is a 22-year-old midfielder with 11 sélections and 2 buts, but France has been winning comfortably and has used him sparingly. That has left him as a secondary actor on the pitch while still drawing unusual attention around the Bleus.
Mbappé, Dembélé, Thuram
Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Marcus Thuram told him that his time would come later. That is the practical message France has given him too: short appearances now, fuller involvement only when the match state allows it.
Cherki had already set a bold tone before leaving for the United States, telling TF1: France’s attacking tone before the trip "On n'ira pas à la Coupe du monde pour être favoris, on ira pour écraser tout le monde". He also drew praise after the first preparation match against Côte d'Ivoire on 4 juin, and France’s next opening for him may come Saturday against Paraguay.
