France aims to lead in loyalty to the absent leader sports

French national team midfielder Aurelien Chouamini confirmed that the “Roosters” players are playing their next match against Norway at the conclusion of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup in high spirit in honor of their coach Didier Deschamps, who was forced to leave the camp and return to France after the death of his mother.

In statements reported by the newspaper “L’Equipe”, Chouamini stressed that the entire team is committed to implementing the technical instructions and mission that Deschamps set before his departure, stressing that the focus is currently on winning the match to secure the lead in Group Nine and providing a performance that proves the players’ appreciation for the coach in this difficult time.

Statement of the French Federation

On Tuesday, the French Football Federation announced in a statement that Deschamps was forced to leave the “Roosters” camp and return to France to attend his mother’s funeral ceremony. He confirmed that the coach will miss the Norway match, after an agreement was reached with Federation President Philippe Diallo.

The statement explained that Deschamps temporarily assigned the task of supervising the national team to his assistant Guy Stephan, who will assume leadership of the group until his return.

In terms of field preparations, the Roosters and Norway teams share the top spot in the group with six points each, and have already secured qualification to the knockout rounds after beating Senegal and Iraq.

Chouamini told L’Equipe: “On behalf of the entire French team and the French family, we send our condolences to the coach and his entourage. It is a complicated time for everyone, and we have tried to make things normal, but we have a mission we want to accomplish to make him proud.”

The Real Madrid player added: “When the coach left, he gave us a clear mission. Guy Stephane will be in line with what the coach asks of us, and we will continue to respect our principles in playing. We are convinced that we will provide all the necessary elements to win.”

For his part, the interim coach confirmed his continuous contact with Deschamps, saying: “I think very much about Didier and his family, as he is very affected. I spoke to him a few minutes ago. I will try to make the situation as normal as possible, and he has asked me to lead the group until his return. I will do my best to be worthy of the trust he has placed in me.”

It is noteworthy that national team captain Kylian Mbappe, who won the Golden Boot in 2022, started the tournament in a remarkable manner by scoring two goals against Senegal (3-1) and the same against Iraq (3-0). On the other hand, Norwegian star Erling Haaland stands out as a strong competitor to Mbappe for the individual award, after he also succeeded in scoring two consecutive braces in the tournament.