JAKARTA - French winger Ousmane Dembele says Didier Deschamps' departure as coach is not a distraction for the squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but rather a motivation for the team to end his leadership with good results.
Deschamps announced his intention to step down as France coach after the 2026 World Cup, closing a 14-year association with Les Bleus.
"We know this is the last tournament for the coach (Deschamps). He is a very qualified figure and has achieved a lot with France."
"Of course we are very happy to have him. We have already played in the World Cup with him. That is our main focus."
"His departure does not affect our mentality too much in this tournament, we want to end his leadership well by reaching the 2026 World Cup final."
"He is a coach who always relies on every player in the French team. He always congratulates or motivates us after the game."
"He is very important for me personally in my career. We will try to achieve good results with him as a coach because he deserves it," Dembele told ESPN.
Deschamps took over the French National Team in the summer of 2012, replacing Laurent Blanc. He won the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 UEFA Nations League, and reached the Euro 2016 final, the 2022 World Cup final, and the Euro 2024 semi-final.
Deschamps is currently one of the coaches of the French National Team with the longest tenure in history.
He will lead Les Bleus through Group 1 of the 2026 World Cup, facing Senegal, Iran, and Norway.
Dembele, who limped off late in Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final win over Arsenal, said the team are in good shape ahead of the summer tournament but remain focused because of the level of competition at this edition.
"There are many favorites, we know that Argentina are the defending World Cup champions. So, obviously they are one of the favorites in this tournament."
"So too is Spain, who won the Euro in 2024. England, Portugal, Germany. There are also very difficult teams like Brazil, Ecuador, Portugal. These are difficult teams."
"There are favorites but when the game starts, it's 11 against 11, there are no more favorites. I have to stay focused," said Dembele.
France will open the 2026 World Cup on June 16, 2026 against Senegal at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
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