France coach Deschamps makes World Cup history
Shafaq News- Paris
Didier Deschamps became the first coach in FIFA World Cup history to win 10 knockout-stage matches after France beat Paraguay 1-0 to reach the 2026 quarter-finals, statistics network Squawka said.
Squawka noted that Deschamps’ knockout wins began against Nigeria in the 2014 Round of 16 before France’s title run in 2018 added victories over Argentina, Uruguay, Belgium, and Croatia.
The run continued in 2022 with wins over Poland, England, and Morocco, before France beat Sweden and Paraguay in the 2026 knockout stage.
The milestone strengthens Deschamps’ place among the most successful managers in World Cup history, alongside names such as Helmut Schon, Mario Zagallo, Franz Beckenbauer, and Vittorio Pozzo.
Deschamps is also one of only three men to win the World Cup as both player and coach, having captained France to the 1998 title and led them from the bench to the 2018 crown. He reached another final in 2022, when France lost to Argentina on penalties, and is now three wins away from another title in North America.
If France go all the way, Deschamps would become only the second coach to win two men’s World Cups, after Pozzo led Italy to back-to-back titles in 1934 and 1938.
