Overview
- France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the 2026 World Cup semifinals in a match that completed another deep run for Les Bleus on Thursday.
- The victory marked Deschamps' 25th World Cup match coached, a total that ties Helmut Schön, and took him to 20 tournament wins and 10 knockout wins, both all-time highs for a manager.
- Deschamps has said he will step down after the tournament, a decision that frames this semifinal run as the likely capstone to his 14-year tenure.
- Kylian Mbappé remained central to France’s attack as the team entered the quarters having outscored opponents 14-2, a scoring depth that has helped Deschamps rotate new players while keeping results steady.
- Commentators and former players say Deschamps’ record of sustained late-stage finishes and his unique status as one of two people to win the World Cup as both player and coach shape his legacy and will make the French federation’s choice of successor a defining next move.