PARIS (AP) — After leading France to another World Cup final, coach Didier Deschamps is signing up for another shot at the title, prolonging his contract to June 2026.
The French Football Federation announced the contract extension on Saturday.
Deschamps, a World Cup winner as a player, took over as coach of Les Bleus in July 2012 and led France to the World Cup title in 2018, beating Croatia in the final.
Under Deschamps, France then came within a whisker of defending its title at the World Cup in Qatar, losing an epic final to Argentina. Argentina won its third World Cup title by beating France 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw featuring two goals from the 35-year-old Lionel Messi and a hat trick by his heir apparent, France forward Kylian Mbappé.
The French federation said Deschamps’ right-hand man, assistant coach Guy Stéphan, is also staying on with Les Bleus, as are goalkeeping coach Franck Raviot and physical trainer Cyril Moine.
In 139 matches under Deschamps, France has won 89, drawn 28 and lost just 22, scoring 279 goals and conceding 119.
France reached the final of the European Championship in 2016.
The United States, Mexico and Canada are hosting the 2026 World Cup.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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