Deschamps breaks 51-year-old record and receives FFF jersey number 17

Didier Deschamps is now the most successful manager in World Cup history. With France’s victory over Sweden (3-0) in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, the French coach brought his total to 17 wins in the final tournament, erasing German Helmut Schön’s record of 16 victories from the books, a mark that had stood since 1974.

The French Football Federation chose to mark the occasion in its own way. In a video published Friday on its social media, FFF president Philippe Diallo is seen presenting Deschamps with a jersey bearing the number 17. Slightly taken aback at first, the manager ultimately accepted the gift and thanked his president in front of a group that warmly applauded him, just before the team meal.

Philippe Diallo took care to emphasize that the streak was far from over. France still has four matches remaining to reach the title, which means Deschamps could theoretically finish the tournament with a jersey bearing the number 21. France faces Paraguay on Saturday in the Round of 16.

A two-time World Cup champion — as a player in 1998, as manager in 2018 — Deschamps will therefore have the opportunity to write his name even further into the history of the competition in the rounds to come.