France 4-6 England: the behind-the-scenes story of Les Bleus' final World Cup match

Didier Deschamps' tenure as France manager did not end on the best of notes. Beyond the 6-4 defeat to England in the World Cup 2026 third-placed playoff, the coach departed in the middle of a tense atmosphere within the squad — marked by a public disagreement with Rayan Cherki and a dressing room left shaken after the final whistle.

According to French newspaper L'Equipe, the incident involving the Manchester City midfielder was the most symbolic moment of the deteriorating relationship between coach and player, in a dressing room that also saw Michael Olise in tears and taking personal responsibility for the French defeat.

Cherki and Deschamps — signs of tension throughout the tournament

Cherki, handed his first start of the tournament in what turned out to be Deschamps' final match, responded sharply to an instruction from the manager during a water break — a reaction the French media described as disrespectful.

Broadcast footage showed Deschamps telling the player to speed up the ball circulation, but the midfielder's reaction displeased the manager. After the exchange, Deschamps ended the conversation and turned to direct Michael Olise, Desire Doue and Kylian Mbappe instead.

Des attitudes de certains en avant-match et en première période posent vraiment question > https://t.co/yi5fCsBK8u pic.twitter.com/JQJtWIzr8Z
— L'Équipe (@lequipe) July 19, 2026

The decision came at half time. With France already 4-0 down, Cherki was withdrawn alongside Doue, Theo Hernandez and Ibrahima Konate. His performance also drew sharp criticism, with L'Equipe handing the midfielder a score of two out of 10. He ended his first World Cup without a single goal or assist, having spent the majority of the competition as a substitute.

The confrontation against England was not an isolated incident. According to the French newspaper, the relationship between coach and player had shown signs of strain since the last-16 tie against Sweden. After the final whistle that day, while players were greeting supporters following the victory, Deschamps attempted to speak with Cherki. The midfielder effectively blanked the manager, walking away while pulling his socks down. The moment went viral on social media and came to be seen as the first visible sign of a breakdown between the two.

The episode carried added weight because it played out during Deschamps' farewell to the national team, closing a 14-year cycle as manager.

Olise in tears after France's defeat

While Cherki drew attention for his conduct during the match, Olise experienced the opposite extreme after the final whistle. According to L'Equipe, the Bayern Munich forward was deeply shaken by the defeat and took personal responsibility for the result inside the dressing room. The attacker had wasted two clear goalscoring opportunities during France's second-half comeback and was in tears after the final whistle.

Deschamps subsequently confirmed that he spoke with Olise, but chose not to reveal the content of the conversation.

Despite the painful farewell, Olise had a standout World Cup overall. The number 11 finished the tournament with seven assists — five of them for Mbappe — surpassing Pele's record of six in 1970 and settling in second place on the all-time assists list for a single World Cup edition, behind only Raymond Kopa, who delivered eight in the 1958 tournament.

While Olise left the pitch crestfallen over the collective performance, the image that defined Cherki's farewell told a different story: after being substituted at the break, the midfielder was seen lying near the substitutes' bench, wearing flip-flops during the second half — a frustrating end to a difficult first World Cup.

Deschamps departs having failed even to reach the final with what was, by some distance, the most heavily fancied squad in the tournament. But whatever the controversies of the final weeks, he leaves after 14 years and two major trophies: a World Cup in 2018 and a Nations League in 2021.