Written with the help of artificial-intelligence tools and checked by automated controls.
This content was machine-translated from the French version.
Three days after France’s elimination in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup against Spain (0–2), Didier Deschamps spoke his mind. The France manager, who will be in charge for the last time on Saturday in the third-place play-off against England, spoke at length about the most talked-about decision of the semi-final: the substitution of Adrien Rabiot at half-time, following an early yellow card, with Eduardo Camavinga coming on in his place.
“I can no longer play normally”
The Marseille midfielder, who had put in a solid first-half performance, had been shown a yellow card as early as the 19th minute.
The Marseille midfielder, who had put in a solid first-half performance, had been shown a yellow card as early as the 19th minute. It was a sword of Damocles that weighed heavily on the manager’s decision. “At the first water break, he came over to me and said: ‘I can’t play normally any more,’” Deschamps revealed to the press in Miami. “I can understand that, because I used to be a player myself. I found myself in two semi-finals with a yellow card hanging over my head, and I remember it well.”
The Basque manager drew on his own experience: in 1998, in the semi-final against Croatia, he was already playing under the threat of suspension. Twenty-eight years later, he applied the same line of reasoning to his player, even if it meant facing public criticism. The press conference, held in Miami at the French team’s base camp, presented a methodical case rather than a defensive justification.
A decision that divided opinion right down to the dressing room
Rabiot’s substitution — with Eduardo Camavinga coming on in his place — did not just cause a stir among pundits. According to several sources, the decision caused a stir within the French squad itself, with some expressing surprise that the Turin-based player, considered one of the best performers in the first half, was taken off whilst other players remained on the pitch, against a backdrop of an overall tactical deficit.
Deschamps acknowledged the apparent paradox without mincing his words: “I took off a player who was in the best form in this match.” An admission that illustrates the complexity of striking a balance between immediate performance and managing disciplinary risk. The early yellow card turned Rabiot into a player under pressure, forced to hold back in challenges, and thus vulnerable to the Spanish press, particularly in the transition zones. The manager justified this sacrifice by citing the prospect of a possible final, which a second yellow card would have jeopardised.
The final press conference of a manager under fire
On the eve of the third-place play-off against England, this tactical choice remains one of the most hotly debated topics in the post-World Cup period. The French press, including 20 Minutes, Sports.fr and Foot Mercato, highlighted the unusual nature of a decision that deprived the team of its attacking metronome during the second half, before retrospectively endorsing the argument for disciplinary caution. Deschamps also responded to criticism of the tactical set-up, referring to “four attacking players” and the need to rethink the team’s attacking play following their elimination.
The manager will step down after Saturday’s match, whatever the circumstances. Rabiot’s sending-off, far from being a mere footnote, is part of a tenure in which every decision regarding player management has often taken precedence over immediate sporting logic. It remains to be seen whether Les Bleus, facing an England side seeking redemption, will be able to come to terms with this decision and end on a positive note, ahead of the expected handover to the next manager.
A decision that says a lot about the dressing room
Beyond the Rabiot case alone, this episode also sheds light on the way Deschamps has managed his squad throughout the tournament. The coaching staff have always advocated a holistic approach to risk, even if it meant alienating public opinion. Several observers note that the manager’s statement on Friday in Miami was by no means an admission of fault: it reflects a philosophy – that of a manager who prioritises people management over the performance on any given night. This stance, which was contested at the time, will undoubtedly be reassessed with the benefit of hindsight in the years to come, once the emotion of the elimination has subsided and the next cycle has begun.