Deschamps calls on France to improve its attack performance against Morocco

Didier Deschamps, head coach of the French team, expressed confidence that the World Cup quarter-final against Morocco will not be his last match on the coaching chair, but he also called on his team to attack more effectively. Deschamps will step down after the tournament ends, but he hopes to lead France to its third World Cup title, and second as coach after 2018.

This quarter-final match will be Deschamps' 25th match at the World Cup, helping him equal the record of Helmut Schön, who directed 25 matches between 1966 and 1978. He has 19 wins in World Cup matches, and this is the highest number of any coach in the history of the tournament. The French team is currently the leading candidate for the championship, with a 27% chance of winning according to supercomputer Opta's predictions.

At this year's tournament, France has shown impressive performance and is currently the team with the highest number of goals along with Argentina, scoring 14 goals. They also had the fourth most shots with 88, but no team had more shots on target than their 39. Kylian Mbappe is currently second in the Golden Boot race with seven goals, but Deschamps still wants his team to attack more effectively.

"We need to be more effective in attack," Deschamps said in his press conference. "Both teams have strong advantages. We were effective, but can do better in this aspect. Sometimes you have six chances and only score two goals, while other times you only have two chances and score two goals. It's more important to be efficient."

When asked if he was worried that this quarter-final match could be his last, Deschamps replied: "I don't think so at all, because the last match could have been the last. In my mind, and with my coaching staff, our goal is to do everything necessary to make things go as well as possible. Then, in football, obviously there are many different possibilities, but in my mind, I'm only interested in competing. against Morocco, and I'm completely focused on this match so that everything goes the way we want."

Deschamps also revealed that FIFA has rejected a complaint by the French Football Federation (FFF) to cancel Michael Olise's yellow card in the match against Paraguay. Olise was booked in the round of 16 match for an action on Matias Galarza, who fell to the ground clutching his face, although slow-motion footage showed the Frenchman only grabbed his shirt. Following FIFA's decision to postpone Folarin Balogun's one-match ban for a year, the FFF believed they had grounds to appeal, but were unsuccessful, meaning Olise could have been suspended in the semi-finals had he been booked in the match against Morocco and France continued through to the next round. "There is no change to Olise's yellow card," Deschamps added. "We received the decision from FIFA on [Wednesday] that Olise's yellow card remains in place."

---

Related Articles

1. Ancelotti: "The World Cup cannot be won in the first match"
2. World Cup 2026: N'Golo Kante is still an important player for France - Olivier Giroud

Frequently Asked Questions

What plans does Didier Deschamps have after the World Cup?

Didier Deschamps will resign after the tournament ends.

How many goals has France scored at this year's World Cup?

France has scored 14 goals at this year's World Cup.

Where is Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Shoe race?

Kylian Mbappe is currently ranked second in the Golden Shoe race with seven goals.

How many matches has Deschamps coached at the World Cup?

Deschamps will make his 25th appearance at the World Cup in the quarter-finals against Morocco.

What are the winning odds of France according to Opta supercomputer predictions?

France has a 27% chance of winning, according to supercomputer Opta's prediction.

Read more on our latest coverage and stay tuned for updates on what happens next.