Kylian Mbappe has made his intentions clear, urging France coach Didier Deschamps to step away from international management entirely after the 2026 World Cup. Mbappe, currently captaining the French national team, revealed he is actively trying to persuade Deschamps to avoid taking on another national team role.
Mbappe did not hold back in his assessment of reports linking Deschamps to the Italy job, describing such a move as "awful." This strong sentiment stems from Deschamps' long and successful tenure with France, spanning 14 years, and Mbappe's desire for the coach to have a fitting farewell from the international stage.
While Deschamps himself has been non-committal about his future plans following the World Cup, Mbappe is clearly keen to steer him away from managing another country. The specific mention of Italy highlights Deschamps' known strong connections to Italian football, making the prospect particularly unappealing to the star player.
For the present moment, however, the focus for both Mbappe and Deschamps remains squarely on France's upcoming World Cup campaign. Their shared objective is to secure the trophy, thereby providing a memorable and triumphant send-off for the veteran coach.
France is set to commence their group stage matches on June 16, with their opening fixture against Senegal. The team will be looking to build momentum and deliver a performance worthy of their ambitions, with the added motivation of giving Deschamps the best possible parting gift.
