Deschamps and Cherki clash as France's World Cup campaign ends in chaos

France's 2026 World Cup ended in a frustrating 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff on Saturday.

In his final match after a 14-year tenure, Deschamps saw his French side overwhelmed by a clinical England in a chaotic encounter. 

The Three Lions established a commanding 4-0 lead by halftime, but despite a second-half rally featuring goals from Kylian Mbappe and Bradley Barcola, a hat-trick from Bukayo Saka and a late Jude Bellingham strike sealed the victory for England.

The game was marked by indiscipline within the French squad, highlighted by a heated exchange during a first-half hydration break. 

Deschamps, frustrated by his team's performance, tried to give tactical instructions to Cherki, who was making his first start of the tournament. 

The 22-year-old playmaker responded with visible defiance, escalating tensions on the sideline.

In his final post-match press conference, Deschamps chose not to criticise Cherki publicly despite the apparent insubordination.

"I’m not going to settle scores today," the 57-year-old stated when asked about the incident. "The players know perfectly well. I’m not going to point fingers."

Deschamps did, however, accept some responsibility for the team's poor start. "I always tell them... they needed time to process it, but it was my mistake. 

“I should have made different choices from the start of the match, you can say that, and perhaps things would have gone better. 

“Everyone is judged on their performance. Obviously, some players could have done better. I wish them all the best."

The clash in Miami was not the first sign of friction between the manager and the player during the tournament. 

Earlier, in France's Round of 32 win against Sweden, Cherki appeared to ignore Deschamps while coming on as a late substitute.