Diallo reveals Deschamps extension could have been considered after 2026

FFF president Philippe Diallo acknowledged in an interview with L’Équipe that an extension for Didier Deschamps beyond the 2026 World Cup could have been discussed, had it not been for the manager’s own decision to leave.

“His wish to stop was a decision that Didier had thought through carefully. Given his results, obviously the question of a possible extension could have arisen, if he hadn’t announced his departure,” Diallo said. A comment that illustrates the value the FFF still places on the man who has led Les Bleus since 2012 and who himself set the course back in January 2025: “I’m scheduled until 2026, the next World Cup, but it will stop there, because it has to stop at some point.”

With France in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup and still able to play two more matches, Deschamps remains focused on the objective of a third consecutive final. His successor, meanwhile, has not yet been officially named. Zinedine Zidane remains the strong favourite in speculation, but Diallo refuses to validate this scenario for now. “We mustn’t rush things. Today, the French team is in the World Cup semi-finals. The rest, we’ll see later,” he said.

The official also took the opportunity to clarify an ambiguous statement made last March. When asked by Le Figaro about the identity of the future manager, he had replied “Yes, I know his name,” sparking a wave of interpretations. Diallo now insists his words were misunderstood. “The sentence was over-interpreted. I hadn’t meant it in that sense. I wanted to remain very discreet on this subject to respect the work of those in place. But then we have to move forward,” he concluded.

The question of succession therefore remains officially open, at least until the conclusion of this World Cup.