Paris, June 2: Didier Deschamps, the head coach of France, has declared winning the FIFA World Cup as the pinnacle of football achievement. As he prepares for his fourth and final World Cup, Deschamps emphasized, “Nothing is better than being a world champion.”
In a recent conversation with FIFA ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Deschamps reflected on his remarkable journey with France, having lifted the trophy as a captain in 1998 and as a coach in 2018. He stated, “I have been fortunate to win at the club level, including the Champions League, but nothing surpasses being a world champion. Your name remains, but two words become permanently attached: ‘World Champion.’”
At 57, Deschamps is among the select few in football history to have won the World Cup both as a player and a coach. Only Brazil’s Mario Zagallo and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer share this distinction. If he secures another title this summer, it will further solidify his legacy, making him the first coach to win the World Cup as both a player and a coach, while also achieving the record for coaching two World Cup victories.
Despite his accolades, Deschamps stressed that he is not dwelling on the past. “I always think only about today and tomorrow; that’s just how I am. Frankly, nothing else matters. I am focused on what’s coming next. What happened in 1998 and 2018 will always be with me, but the past cannot be changed. What matters now is what we do moving forward.”
Following their 2018 World Cup victory and a runner-up finish in 2022, France is once again a strong contender for the title. However, Deschamps warned that reputation alone does not guarantee success. “We have built expectations based on our results. We lifted the trophy in 2018 and reached the final in 2022, so our supporters hope we will be there again. We are one of the 10 or 12 countries that can realistically dream of becoming world champions. However, only one will emerge victorious, and many teams will be disappointed. There is no such thing as a guarantee in sports. That is now history. This is a new chapter.”
France will kick off its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Senegal, followed by matches in the group stage against Norway and Iraq. As he prepares for his final World Cup, Deschamps admitted that he has not thought much about life after France, focusing entirely on seizing one last opportunity to become world champion again.
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