Didier Deschamps could lead France to his third FIFA World Cup this weekend when Les Bleus take on Argentina in Lusail. The 54-year-old was captain back in 1998 for the first triumph on home soil and he was the tactical mastermind behind their 2018 success in Russia.
Another win on Sunday would firmly put Deschamps in the elite management category at international level and move the French to third on the list of all-time winners. The man from Bayonne will have been involved in all of them, but this one would arguably be the least expected.
Pre-Qatar, Deschamps lost star men like Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Karim Benzema, and Presnel Kimpembe to injury as well as emerging talent Christopher Nkunku. Few expected France to do better than a potential quarterfinal appearance, maybe the semifinals if everything broke right, yet they have defied the doubters and look strong.
The French look good on the field and united off it which was not the case before the COVID-delayed UEFA Euro 2020 last year and did not look likely as recently as a few months ago. That they are in this position owes much to Deschamps and his ability to thrive in an international tournament format.
“I think Deschamps is benefiting from the French ecosystem in its entirety,” former France international Mikael Silvestre told CBS Sports exclusively. “The quality of players is very impressive — they play for top clubs at the highest level and win titles. It has been about getting everybody together and embracing that culture. Gone are the players who did not fit Deschamps’ philosophy as it is group first before individuals.”
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Deschamps has relied upon a core of his 2018 champions including captain Hugo Lloris, Raphael…
