Deschamps Says Portugal’s 2016 Winner Would Have Been Overturned Under VAR

Overview

• Didier Deschamps told Ouest-France that he learned in a FIFA meeting that Éder’s extra-time winner in the Euro 2016 final would not have stood if VAR had been in use because the move began with a foul.
• The allegation that the initial foul was committed by João Moutinho on Antoine Griezmann appears in some reports but is presented as an unverified, parenthetical note rather than an independently confirmed fact.
• Deschamps said the 2016 defeat remains painful because it was on home soil and ended a long wait for a major title, though he called the 2022 World Cup loss the more agonising of his tenure.
• He confirmed he will leave the France job after the 2026 World Cup, framing these retrospective comments as part of a wider reflection on his 14 years in charge and his record, which includes the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Nations League.
• The remark highlights how the later introduction of VAR has prompted fresh scrutiny of past match decisions and could reshape public and historical views of tightly decided finals.