Former French international Thierry Henry, 48, analyzed the events of the World Cup semifinal where France lost 0-2 to Spain, a match that ended their hopes of reaching the final in New York on July 19.
France is set to compete for third place on July 19 at 00:00 against the loser of the Argentina versus England match.
The semifinal loss marked the penultimate match for Didier Deschamps, 57, as the head coach of the French team, concluding a remarkable 14-year tenure. After the World Cup, he will step down, and Zinedine Zidane, 54, will take over.
“We all know who is coming in place of Deschamps. Thank you for everything, you were incredible for our national team. Didier, thank you! Zizou, good luck!” Henry stated after the match on FOX Sports.
Didier Deschamps’ Tenure Comes to an End
Thus, an era spanning over a decade concludes, during which the former star player elevated France to the elite of world football, consistently guiding the national team into the latter stages of major tournaments.
Deschamps leaves behind an impressive record: 182 matches, including 119 wins, 35 draws, and 28 losses. Under his leadership, France won the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Nations League, and came close to winning two other major trophies, finishing as runners-up in the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2016.
His achievements include several historical records. Deschamps holds the record for the most matches managed in World Cup history and is the first coach to win 12 matches in the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Additionally, he holds the record for the most wins in the knockout phase of the World Cup (10) and is one of only three individuals in history to have won the ultimate trophy both as a player in 1998 and as a coach in 2018.
Zidane has done great things, winning 3 Champions League titles with Real Madrid. We all know he will continue Didier Deschamps’ work. He has the players he needs. This national team needs a manager more than a coach. The players know what they need to do. Today, I felt France wasn’t alive – Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Fox Sports
