Didier Deschamps is set to end his impressive 14-year time as France coach on Saturday when Les Bleus play England in the World Cup third-place match.
Zinedine Zidane, Deschamps' former teammate and a legendary French player, is waiting to step in.
Deschamps, 57, wanted to finish his career by leading France to a third World Cup win after a successful journey as a player and manager.
France looked strong heading into the 2026 tournament but faced a setback against Spain in the semi-finals.
The disappointing 2-0 loss in Arlington, Texas, stopped them from reaching their third straight World Cup final, and now they aim for bronze.
Deschamps is not expecting a tearful goodbye in Miami on Sunday.
“I had the privilege of experiencing moments that were magical, and others that were difficult,” he said before the game.
“But life goes on. I’m a positive person, and I know things will be good, too. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Deschamps will always be remembered for leading France to glory in the 2018 World Cup, 20 years after he captained the team to their first win.
The France team struggled in 2010, crashing out in the group stage after a player revolt against then-coach Raymond Domenech.
Laurent Blanc got them to the Euro 2012 quarter-finals, but Deschamps transformed the team, guiding them to victory in Russia in 2018, which launched Kylian Mbappe into the spotlight.
There have been tough moments too, like losing the Euro 2016 final to Portugal on home turf and the penalty shootout loss to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final.
Tuesday's loss to Spain was especially hard to take, given France's strong form in the United States.
But Deschamps can take pride in his record of reaching at least the semi-finals in five out of seven major tournaments he managed.
When asked about his secret to success earlier in the tournament, he said: “I don’t know, having very good players, I guess. But I can’t be doing my job too badly.”
Over the past year, Deschamps has changed the way France plays, moving away from the more cautious style that brought success before.
He faced criticism for not using the talent available to him more fully, at Euro 2024, France only scored four goals in six matches.
Deschamps has allowed stars like Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise to play freely, but he might regret not being more careful against Spain.
His World Cup journey was also marked by personal loss, as he missed one game to attend his mother's funeral.
The match against England will be his 27th World Cup game as coach, setting a new record. After that, it will be time for a new challenge.
It is widely known that Zidane, who has a special presence in French football, will be the next head coach.
The former Real Madrid star, who played with Deschamps on the 1998 World Cup team, has been preparing for this role since leaving Real in 2021.
Zidane, 54, has expressed that managing France is a “dream” for him, and it looks like that dream will soon become a reality.
“There are not many people capable of leading one of the world’s biggest national teams,” said French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo earlier this year.
“It needs to be someone who ticks every box and who everyone in France can get behind.”
Zidane may be the next choice, but he has a big legacy to uphold.
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