"Thank God it hurts": Deschamps' final match may come without Mbappé

The 27th match

When Deschamps took his seat for the semi-final against Spain, a World Cup record moved. It was his 26th match as a head coach at a World Cup, one more than Helmut Schön, who took charge of 25 for West Germany. His 17 wins at World Cups are also the most by any manager, ahead of Schön's 16. Saturday's game against England is number 27, and it is his last.

He took the job in 2012. France lost 1-0 to Germany in the 2014 quarter-finals, won the tournament in 2018, and lost the 2022 final to Argentina — the same Argentina that plays this Sunday's final. Then, in 2026, Spain stopped them 2-0. Fourteen years end in a match neither side wanted.

The ankle

Mbappé's ankle is not a new problem. It was reported as a concern before the semi-final and France started him anyway. Le Parisien indicates the staff's worry has not gone away now that the Spain game has been played. If he is rested, Marcus Thuram or Maghnes Akliouche could get minutes instead, Le10sport wrote.

"We should have gone man-to-man"

Speaking to M6 after the defeat, Mbappé said France should have gone man-to-man against Spain and forced them to run. Rodri and Fabián Ruiz, he said, had too much time on the ball, and the pressing lacked communication. "Tactically and technically, we weren't at the level required for a World Cup semi-final."

He did not name his coach. In France the remarks were still read as a question aimed at Deschamps' setup, as beIN SPORTS reported. Three days after the exit, the argument over who got what wrong has not settled. And the captain who raised it may not be fit for his coach's final match.

What Deschamps said back

In a video published by the French national team, Deschamps did not soften it. "When you do not reach the final you wanted, it has to hurt. Thank God it hurts. We lost to a good Spain team that raised its level." On the third-place play-off, he repeated that a result is at stake and that his players will do everything they can for it.

Zidane from September

The successor is close to settled: Zinedine Zidane. According to Fabrizio Romano, the French Football Federation plans to appoint him formally once the World Cup ends, with a debut expected in September's Nations League. The agreement itself has been in place for months. The federation has announced nothing yet.

The current coach still has a match left, and France has already moved on to the next one. The day after the semi-final, local media savaged Michael Olise's performance, one line going as far as saying he is "not even in Zidane's kitchen." Zlatan Ibrahimović has said Zidane will do well with France.

06:00 JST on Saturday

DAZN carries the match in Japan, free. Kick-off is 06:00 JST on 19 July. If Mbappé plays, he can add to his eight goals; if he does not, those eight sit and wait for Messi on Sunday. France has not said whether its captain will run on Saturday.