World Cup Story Feed
World Cup Story Feed
June 26, Boston. Deschamps flew back to Europe. His mother passed away, and the funeral matters more than the World Cup final.
June 26, Boston. Deschamps flew back to Europe. His mother passed away, and the funeral takes precedence over the World Cup final.
Assistant coach Stephan stood on the sidelines, the headset silent on the other end.
But France’s attack, instead, broke its chains. Dembélé notched a hat-trick by the 32nd minute of the first half. 4-1, Norway nailed to the post of shame.
In the first two matches, Mbappé had already bagged 4 goals.
On June 16 in New Jersey against Senegal, he scored a brace. 58 goals, surpassing Giroud, making him France’s all-time top scorer before turning 28. That match ended 3-1, with an xG of 1.79 to 0.53. Senegal’s midfield was ground to mush, running around aimlessly all game without even getting a whiff of a clear-cut chance.
On June 22 against Iraq, Mbappé made his 100th national team appearance. Thunderstorms delayed the second-half kickoff by nearly three hours. His touch wasn’t cooled by the downpour. Goals in the 14th and 54th minutes sealed a 3-0 finish.
Three World Cups, 16 goals. Tied with Klose for second place all-time. Only Messi’s 18 goals stand above him.
Before the tournament, he declared: "I know I have the quality but you still need to go out and show it on the biggest stage at a World Cup."
16 goals. Two shy of Messi.
Another of his statements was even more blunt: "I just want to go down in history for my country."
After Mbappé’s 4 goals in the first two games, outsiders thought the script was written. Then came Norway, and Dembélé took over the match.
A hat-trick in the first 32 minutes. "Paris’ second-in-command forever living in Mbappé’s shadow"? That tired media narrative was shattered with every strike. The press loves labels, and a hat-trick is the most concise slap in the face.
Norway benched Haaland, not fielding their full strength. Dembélé didn’t care who stood across from him.
The third goal was the most lethal. 17 passes, fluid and seamless, ending with the ball in the net. This wasn’t a superstar going solo; it was systemic dominance etched into muscle memory.
This machine has grown so precise it doesn’t need the head coach standing on the sidelines pressing buttons.
Deschamps has 17 World Cup wins, the most in history. He’s left Helmut Schön’s 16 and Scolari’s 14 in the dust. Under him, France has played 12 World Cup group-stage matches, with 9 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss. They’ve scored 27 goals, conceded 8, and kept 5 clean sheets.
Only one loss in 12 matches. Such consistency makes other coaches, still calculating tiebreakers on their phones, envious. The system has been honed over years—who’s speaking into the headset really doesn’t matter that much.
In a FIFA interview before the tournament, Deschamps revealed his mindset: "I only ever think about today and tomorrow; that's just how I am. Honestly, nothing else matters."
Only focused on the present and the future. This pragmatic, almost cold-blooded approach has led France to their first perfect group-stage record in a major tournament since 1998.
In the past, with qualification secured, they’d inevitably let substitutes take a stroll in the final group game. Not this time. Three matches played: 10 goals scored, 2 conceded. No holding back, playing for keeps.
Consecutive World Cup group-stage top finishes for the fourth time: 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026. All under Deschamps’ tenure.
Three goals in one match, three in another, four in the third. Four consecutive World Cup matches with at least 3 goals, matching Spain’s old record from 1998-2002.
For this kind of firepower, you’d have to look back to 1958.
That year, Fontaine scored a staggering 13 goals in a single tournament—a miracle. During that stretch, France had seven consecutive World Cup matches with at least 2 goals. 68 years later, Mbappé, Dembélé, and the rest have unearthed that record and polished it anew. Fontaine’s 13 goals remain untouchable, but Mbappé’s 16 World Cup goals are still climbing.
Entering the knockout stage, France has the lowest odds to win the tournament, the bookmakers’ biggest favorite.
Mbappé has 4 goals, nipping at Messi’s heels in the Golden Boot race. Dembélé’s 32-minute hat-trick proves he’s the most unpredictable variable on this team. Opponents can’t neutralize both players at once. Hold one down, and the other will sink you.
In 1998, the French team that swept the group stage played on home soil, with the whole nation backing them. In 2026, in Boston, there’s no such burden.
Stephan said after the match: "Obviously all my thoughts go to Didier. I will call him later. We are all happy that he will be back with the team shortly."
By the time the phone rings, the knockout-round opponents will probably have the footage of those 17 passes worn to a shine.