News, goals, and analysis – only on the official A BOLA app. World Cup After the disappointment of a 1-2 defeat to Spain in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup, France’s coach, Didier Deschamps, admitted that the elimination still “hurts,” but urged the players to focus on the third-place match against England, scheduled for Saturday in Miami. The French national team returned to training still recovering from missing out on the final, but with the mission to finish the competition in the best way possible. In statements to the official media of the national team, Deschamps did not hide his frustration in the last competition in charge of the “bleus.” “The disappointment matches our ambitions, but we also have to accept it; there is no other choice,” he stated. “We faced a very good Spanish team that raised their level. Was it that, or were we a bit below?” he questioned. Deschamps acknowledged that the team did not meet the set objective but immediately turned attention to the next challenge. “We did not achieve the goal we wanted and expected. We have another match ahead of us. It is not on Sunday (the day of the final), it is on Saturday. We obviously have to overcome this huge disappointment. Our duty is to give everything on Saturday because it is the last game of the competition.” The French coach insisted that, despite the pain of defeat, it is necessary to turn the page and approach the game against England with the utmost seriousness. “There is a time for everything; this is high-level football,” he added. “The players have experienced other difficult moments, defeats, eliminations. When you are competitive, you have that desire, and of course, when you do not achieve the objective, it has to hurt, and it is good that it hurts.” Finally, Deschamps emphasized the obligation to honor the jersey and the fans, making it clear that the match against the “English friends” is not a friendly. “There is a third place at stake, so we will do everything to win it. We have that duty to ourselves, to what this jersey represents, and to all the people who supported us and cheered for us. There are many disappointed, of course, but there is a game. It is not a friendly match. OK, it will not change their lives, but all the players have to have that duty.”
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