Deschamps returns home

Didier Deschamps has left France’s World Cup camp in the United States after the death of his mother.

According to the French Football Federation’s official statement, the France head coach received the news on Tuesday morning and returned to France to attend the funeral.

The federation said Deschamps will not oversee training before France’s match against Norway and will not be on the bench for Friday’s final Group I fixture.

“In this extremely painful moment, we wish the coach and his family great courage and assure them of the support of everyone within the Federation,” the FFF said.

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Stéphan takes charge

Guy Stéphan, Deschamps’ long-serving assistant, will lead the squad until the head coach returns.

As described by La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Andrea Ramazzotti, the decision was made in agreement with Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, who is with the squad at France’s World Cup base camp.

Stéphan will now handle preparations for the Norway match, a fixture that will decide the final order at the top of Group I.

France already through

France go into the match in a strong position after winning their first two group games.

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Deschamps’ side opened with a 3-1 victory over Senegal before beating Iraq 3-0 in Philadelphia, a result that secured their place in the knockout stage with one group match still to play.

The squad later returned to the Boston area, where training continued at Bentley University under Stéphan’s supervision.

Norway match still matters

Although France have already qualified, Friday’s meeting with Norway remains important. It will determine who finishes first in Group I and could shape the route through the knockout rounds.

For now, the sporting questions sit behind the personal circumstances surrounding Deschamps’ departure.

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France must prepare for Norway without the coach who has led the national team for more than a decade, while the federation and squad have publicly offered their support to him and his family.

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