France's Coach Deschamps Aims for Back-to-Back World Cup Titles

Published 15 Dec.2022 13:40(KST)

Won 2-0 against Morocco in the semifinals
Final match against Argentina at 0:00 on the 19th

On the 26th of last month (local time), at Stadium 974 in Doha, Qatar, during the Group D match of the 2022 Qatar World Cup between France and Denmark, French coach Didier Deschamps was seen entering the stadium. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] France defeated Morocco in the 2022 Qatar World Cup semifinal and advanced to the final. Didier Deschamps, the coach leading the French national team, is aiming for his second consecutive World Cup victory.

On the 15th (Korean time), France beat Morocco 2-0 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup semifinal held at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, advancing to the final. They are aiming for their third overall victory following the 1998 France World Cup and the 2018 Russia World Cup.

In the semifinal, Coach Deschamps' tactical decisions shone. France took the lead with Theo Hernandez's opening goal just 5 minutes into the first half, and Kolo Muani added another goal in the 34th minute of the second half. Deschamps made a substitution in the 33rd minute of the second half, replacing Ousmane Dembele with Muani, who scored an additional goal just 44 seconds after coming on.

Deschamps, who has been coaching the French national team for 10 years, succeeded in reaching the final for the second consecutive time following the 2018 Russia World Cup. He is the fourth coach to achieve this after Vittorio Pozzo (Italy, 1934, 1938), Carlos Bilardo (Argentina, 1986, 1990), and Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany, 1986, 1990). Among them, Pozzo is the only coach to have won back-to-back tournaments.

If France defeats Argentina in the final and wins the championship, Deschamps will become the second coach in history to achieve consecutive World Cup victories. After the match, Deschamps expressed confidence, saying, "I am proud of the players. Now, only one step remains (to the championship). This journey has never been easy, but I am very happy."

With the successful advancement to the final, attention is turning to whether Deschamps will renew his contract. Although it was expected that Deschamps would leave the French national team after this World Cup, voices are emerging to extend his contract following another successful final appearance. President Emmanuel Macron, who watched the semifinal match on-site, said, "I hope they win and that Coach Deschamps stays on."