France coach Didier Deschamps will miss his side’s final FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage match against Norway after the death of his mother, the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed on Tuesday.
The 57-year-old has left France’s World Cup base camp and returned home to attend the funeral, meaning he will not be on the touchline when Les Bleus conclude their Group I campaign later this week.
In their official statement, the French Football Federation confirmed that Deschamps would temporarily step away from his duties and entrusted assistant coach Guy Stephan with leading the team until his return.
“Didier Deschamps will not be able to oversee training sessions ahead of the Norway v France match. He will also be absent from the bench for Friday’s final Group I game,” the FFF said in a statement.
“The national team coach learned this morning of the death of his mother and will return to France to attend her funeral.
“In agreement with Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, who is currently at the France team’s base camp, Deschamps has entrusted assistant coach Guy Stephan with responsibility for leading the squad until his return.”
The development comes at an otherwise positive moment for France, who have already secured their place in the knockout stages after winning their opening two matches of the tournament.
Les Bleus opened their campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Senegal before following it up with a comfortable 3-0 win against Iraq. The six-point haul ensured qualification from Group I with a game to spare and underlined why France remain among the favourites to challenge for the World Cup title.
HOW HAS FRANCE BEEN IN WORLD CUP 2026?
France have looked every bit like a team with serious ambitions of lifting the trophy.
Deschamps’ side began the tournament by overcoming Senegal 3-1, showing both attacking quality and resilience after being tested by one of Africa’s strongest teams. They followed that performance with an even more dominant display against Iraq, cruising to a 3-0 victory to secure qualification before the final group match.
The results have continued France’s reputation as one of the most consistent teams in major tournaments under Deschamps. Since taking charge in 2012, the former World Cup-winning captain has guided France to a World Cup title, a World Cup final and multiple deep tournament runs.
With qualification already secured, Friday’s clash against Norway offers an opportunity to maintain momentum ahead of the knockout stages. It also allows assistant coach Guy Stephan to oversee the team in Deschamps’ absence as the French squad looks to finish top of Group I.
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