France coach Deschamps returns home for mother's funeral, to miss Norway match

Didier Deschamps, the head coach of the French national football team, has temporarily left the squad participating in the 2026 North American World Cup qualifiers to return to France following the death of his mother.

The French Football Federation announced on June 24 that Deschamps would be absent to attend his mother's funeral. Consequently, he is expected to miss the team's final Group I match against Norway, scheduled for June 27. Assistant coach Guy Stéphan will lead the team in Deschamps' absence.

France has already secured their place in the Round of 32, having won their first two group matches against Senegal and Iraq. Currently, France and Norway are tied on points, but France holds the top spot in Group I due to a superior goal difference. The final group match will determine the group winner.

Deschamps, a World Cup winner as a player in 1998 and as a coach in 2018, is reportedly planning to step down as head coach after the current World Cup. If he wins this tournament, he would become the first coach since Vittorio Pozzo for Italy in 1934 and 1938 to win two World Cups.

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The coach's mother has passed away, and he is returning to France to attend the funeral.