France secured the top spot in their group after a commanding 4-1 victory over Norway. However, unlike their previous two matches, head coach Didier Deschamps was not present on the sidelines to guide Les Bleus during the game.
The French coach departed the United States a few days earlier after a heartbreaking family tragedy, which forced him to miss the final group-stage match.
Reports suggested that Deschamps returned to his homeland following the unfortunate passing of his mother, traveling back to attend her funeral.
France requested black armbands
For the same reason, the French national team reportedly requested FIFA’s permission for players to wear black armbands during Friday’s match in tribute to the head coach’s late mother.
However, the tournament’s governing body reportedly refused to grant approval, reported The Sun.
The French Football Federation (FFF) also faced an awkward reversal after it prematurely announced a planned minute’s silence in memory of Deschamps’ mother.
FIFA issues clarification
The federation later clarified that FIFA had already dedicated the tribute to honour the victims of the Venezuela earthquake, leaving no provision for an additional commemoration.
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In addition, the FFF revealed that a separate request for Les Bleus to wear black armbands was also turned down, a decision that has since drawn scrutiny toward the governing body.
Deschamps returning soon
The French camp has received a positive update, with their head coach—who missed the Norway game—expected to rejoin the squad soon.
The assistant coach, Guy Stephan, who stepped in during Deschamps’ absence, confirmed that the 57-year-old manager is likely to be back with the team by Saturday.
“Obviously I am thinking a lot about Didier. I will talk to him later but we are all really pleased that he is coming back really soon and he will be at training tomorrow afternoon,” Guy said in the press conference after the Norway game.
The former midfielder has been in charge of his national team since 2012, leading them to World Cup success in Russia in 2018 and guiding them to another final four years later, where they were beaten by Argentina.
Dembele shines in Norway clash
France went into the match knowing that anything other than a defeat against Norway would guarantee them top spot in Group I.
Even in the absence of the coach who has become the defining figure of the national side over the past decade, Les Bleus delivered a dominant performance to comfortably overcome a Norway team that was also missing key stars Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard.
Also read: FIFA World Cup 2026: Ousmane Dembele dazzles with first-half hat-trick as France beat Norway 4-1
Ousmane Dembele produced a stunning first-half hat-trick, while Désiré Doué added a late fourth goal to cap off a commanding victory.
Round of 32 opponent confirmed
France will now take on Sweden in the Round of 32 on Tuesday at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
