France coach Didier Deschamps will not be present for the final Group I match of the 2026 World Cup against Norway on Friday, June 26, in Massachusetts, due to the death of his mother. He flew back to France after learning the news on Tuesday morning, June 23, according to the French Football Federation [1, 2, 3, 4].
The federation said Deschamps "will not be able to oversee training sessions ahead of the Norway v France match. He will also be absent from the bench for Friday's final Group I game." It added, "The coach had the painful experience this morning of learning of the death of his mother. He will return to France to attend the funeral." [1, 3]
Assistant coach Guy Stephan will lead the French team in Deschamps’ absence for the match at Foxborough, Massachusetts. [1, 2, 5, 3, 4]
France has already secured qualification for the knockout stage by winning its first two group games, beating Senegal 3-1 and Iraq 3-0. [1, 2, 5, 3, 4] Norway also has two wins but trails France on goal difference. The match will determine the winner of Group I. [3, 4]
France star Kylian Mbappé, the second highest scorer at the tournament, is expected to face Norwegian striker Erling Haaland in the final group game. [3, 4]
Deschamps, 57, has been France’s head coach since 2012 and this is his last tournament leading the team. He won the World Cup as a player in 1998 and as a coach in 2018. Under his tenure, France lost the 2022 World Cup final and 2016 Euro final. [2, 3]
The French team will play Norway on Friday, June 26, with assistant coach Guy Stephan in charge.
