France Aim to Honour Deschamps in World Cup Clash Against Norway

Written by Pavel Kateliev

Pavel Kateliev is a popular sport journalist, particularly in the fields of football, basketball, tennis, and hockey. He writes daily for Sportingpedia and his work has been translated into at least 20 languages and featured on renowned outlets such as BBC, Yahoo, MCN, Sun, and Evening News, in Italian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

, | Updated: June 26, 2026

Key Takeaways:

France booked their spot in the knock-out stage with consecutive victories over Senegal (3-1) and Iraq (3-0)
Les Bleus require just a draw against Norway on Friday at Boston’s Gillette Stadium to secure the top position in Group I
Assistant coach Guy Stéphan will oversee the match, with Didier Deschamps absent due to the bereavement of his mother

France Prepared for Group I Decider in Deschamps’ Absence

Aurélien Tchouaméni has asserted that the France squad are focused on making Didier Deschamps proud as they head into their final 2026 World Cup group match against Norway. Having already won back-to-back games against Senegal (3-1) and Iraq (3-0), Les Bleus have secured qualification to the next round and only require a single point to top Group I.

« IL NOUS A DONNÉ UNE MISSION. ON VA FAIRE EN SORTE DE LE RENDRE LE PLUS FIER POSSIBLE ! » 🥺🥰🇫🇷
Aurélien Tchouameni confie que les Bleus SERONT EN MISSION face à la Norvège 🇳🇴 demain pour rendre HOMMAGE à Didier Deschamps qui a perdu sa maman et qui ne sera pas sur le banc. 🕊️… pic.twitter.com/J2Dq82xsX3
— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) June 25, 2026

Friday’s fixture at Gillette Stadium in Boston will see assistant coach Guy Stéphan take charge, after Deschamps returned to France following the passing of his mother. The funeral is scheduled for tomorrow.

Team Support and Mission Underlined by Tchouaméni

Speaking on behalf of the squad, Tchouaméni expressed his condolences to Deschamps and underlined their determination in his absence: “On behalf of the entire France team, France’s family, we extend our condolences to the coach and his family” said Tchouaméni. “This is a difficult time for everyone. We tried to make things seem normal, but we have a mission and we want to make him proud.”

He further explained that Deschamps addressed both players and staff before departing: “He gave us a mission, both the staff and the players. Guy will follow the coach’s instructions. We will continue to respect our playing principles. We are confident that we will do everything we can to win.”