Deschamps on the Verge of World Cup History as France Face Spain
Didier Deschamps is 90 minutes away from a place in the World Cup final, and according to analysis from The Guardian, the France head coach has pulled off one of international football’s more unlikely reinventions to get there.
France take on Spain in Dallas on Tuesday evening in what shapes up as the standout semi-final of the tournament. The two sides know each other well — they met in a pulsating Nations League semi-final in Stuttgart in June 2025, a game France lost 5-4 but one that, in hindsight, laid the groundwork for everything that has followed. Deschamps used that night to road-test a 4-2-3-1 setup that sacrifices a midfielder in favour of four forwards, and the experiment has blossomed at this World Cup.
The same attacking quartet that lit up Stuttgart — Michael Olise, Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé — are expected to start again. Olise, who made his senior debut for France in that earlier Nations League defeat by Italy, has been central to the rebuild, as has Doué. Bradley Barcola, described as a player who would walk into most other international sides, provides further attacking depth off the bench.
The context matters. Not long ago Deschamps was being booed before friendly kick-offs, his long tenure appearing to have run its course. A heavy defeat to Italy in a Nations League opener prompted a hostile reaction from supporters. Spain had comfortably outplayed France in the Euro 2024 semi-finals in Munich, with a Lamine Yamal-inspired performance exposing Les Bleus as stodgy and lacking invention. The calls to move on were growing louder.
Instead, Deschamps announced in January 2025 that he would leave after this tournament — and according to The Guardian, that decision has itself acted as a source of liberation. With succession planning largely settled (Zinedine Zidane is widely expected to take over), the pressure on the outgoing coach has eased somewhat, freeing him to focus on a final push.
Should France beat Spain and go on to lift the trophy in New Jersey, Deschamps would become only the second manager in history to win the World Cup twice — a remarkable footnote for a coach whose pragmatic reputation has sometimes obscured his influence.
For UK bettors tracking the tournament, France’s recent form makes them difficult to overlook. Check our World Cup 2026 hub for the latest tips and head to our live standings to follow how the draw is shaping up ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final.