Didier Deschamps to leave France job after 2026 World Cup

Paris: Didier Deschamps, France's longest serving national team coach, will not seek to renew his contract which expires in 2026, the French soccer federation (FFF) told Reuters on Tuesday.

Deschamps' deal runs until after the next World Cup, for which Les Bleus have yet to qualify.

The 56-year-old took over from fellow 1998 World Cup winner Laurent Blanc in 2012 and led Les Bleus to the World Cup title in 2018, two years after reaching the European Championship final on home soil.

The former France captain, one of only three people to win football's most prestigious prize as a player and a coach, guided the national team to the World Cup final again in 2022, losing to Argentina on penalties after one of the best matches in the tournament's history.

Earlier on Tuesday, French sports daily L'Equipe reported that Deschamps would make his announcement on Wednesday.

FFF president Philippe Diallo told Reuters Deschamps would not look to extend his stay after the World Cup, adding: "He will go until the end of his contract, i.e. 2026."

Deschamps, who had won trophies with every club he managed before becoming France coach, also claimed the 2021 Nations League title with Les Bleus.

As a player, he won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, both as captain.

A defensive midfielder nicknamed 'the water carrier' by Eric Cantona, Deschamps was a winning machine and under his guidance as coach, France were at times boringly efficient and at others brilliant, beating Argentina 4-3 in the 2018 World Cup round of 16 and Croatia 4-2 in the final.

While Deschamps' side has boasted the thrilling attacking talent of Kylian Mbappe, his teams have also shown grit and unmatched defensive ability when it mattered most.

It is uncertain who will succeed him but Zinedine Zidane is the heavy favourite for the job.