Didier Deschamps calls out FIVE France players who weren't at 'right level physically' for World Cup final

Didier Deschamps has called out four to five players over their performances in France’s World Cup final defeat to Argentina in Qatar.

Argentina took a first-half lead at the Lusail Stadium after Lionel Messi converted from the spot-kick, with Angel Di Maria doubling their lead before half-time.

Deschamps made the shock decision to pull Ousmane Dembele and Olivier Giroud in the first half, with Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani brought on for France.

Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe handed France the all-important lifeline with a quick-fire brace late in the second half to send the tie to extra-time.

Messi restored Argentina’s lead in the second half of extra-time, but Mbappe cancelled out his PSG teammate’s equaliser by completing his hat-trick.

Deschamps watched on as his France team unsuccessfully defended the World Cup, with Argentina beating the 2018 champions 4-2 on penalties in December.

Following on from their World Cup final defeat, Deschamps has claimed that four or five players who started for France were not at the “right level physically.”

Speaking to RMC, the France manager said: “I’m not going to take aim at any individual player, but in that starting eleven there were maybe at least four or five players who weren’t at the right level physically.

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“It was the first final for a lot of the players, it was a very particular situation.

“Factually, [though] there were at least five players in the starting eleven who were not at the right level for such a match against such an opponent.”

Deschamps recently inked a new deal with the French Football Federation (FFF), despite speculation mounting that Zinedine Zidane could replace him after the World Cup.

READ MORE:

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• Fans think some France players will be very happy Karim Benzema has retired

The France head coach is now under contract until June 2026 and will lead his country to Euro 2024 in Germany and the 2026 World Cup in North America.

“The French Football Federation and Noel Le Graet, its president, are pleased to announce the extension of Didier Deschamps’ contract as head of the French national team until June 2026,” reads the FFF’s statement.

Topics: Didier Deschamps, France, Argentina, Football World Cup, Football

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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