Didier Deschamps appears to be blanked by Rayan Cherki after France's win over Sweden
Rayan Cherki was spotted in a frosty exchange with manager Didier Deschamps after France's 3-0 win over Sweden in New Jersey.
Les Bleus secured passage to the World Cup round of 16 thanks to a brace from talisman Kylian Mbappe either side of a strike from Bradley Barcola.
The two-time winners will take on Paraguay in the last 16 on Saturday after the South American outfit produced a huge upset to beat Germany on penalties.
Deschamps returned to the dugout after missing the 4-1 win over Norway following the death of his mother.
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When Mbappe opened the scoring, he and the rest of the France players ran to celebrate with Deschamps in a wonderful tribute.
But there was a tense moment after the game as footage filmed from the stands appeared to show Cherki being frustrated with his manager.
After an excellent debut season with Manchester City, where he was one of the most creative players in Europe, Cherki is yet to start for France at the World Cup.
Cherki has featured in all four of France's games but only as a substitute, amassing 55 minutes of gametime.
In a clip which went viral on social media, Deschamps could be seen going over to Cherki looking for an embrace as the former Lyon man waved to the stands.
Cherki did not appear interested and at first snubbed Deschamps by moving him away. He then pulled down his socks as Deschamps came over for a second time and looked to move his head away.
Rayan Cherki a complètement ignoré Didier Deschamps après le match contre la Suède 😳 pic.twitter.com/bNslVVdFKV
— Vibes Foot (@VibesFoot) July 1, 2026
The clip amassed millions of views online, with neither Deschamps or Cherki responding to the awkward scenes.
Cherki was active on social media, sharing pictures from the official France Instagram page and then posting an image of the squad on the plane, with the caption "Gang".
Didier Deschamps talks up France's unity amid Ryan Cherki moment
Deschamps recently travelled back to France to attend his mother's funeral, with assistant manager Guy Stephan taking charge of the Norway win in his absence.
The gesture from Mbappe showed a unity amongst France's group and it was only that was appreciated by Deschamps after a difficult period.
"Obviously on a personal level Kylian's gesture moved me a lot," Deschamps said.
"He's our captain, and I'm not saying good things about him just for the sake of it, it's because he's been exemplary from day one."
"The group stayed united, they did what needed to be done when I wasn't there, and it was better for me and for them that I wasn't there.
"And from the moment I came back, they knew I was with them. But it's a very good thing. The mindset of a group doesn't win matches, but I know all too well that it can make you lose them."
Deschamps will step down at the end of the tournament when his contract expires - with France legend Zinedine Zidane the clear favourite to replace him.
Deschamps will be hoping to sign off with a third World Cup triumph - having won the competition as France captain in 1998 before guiding his country to their second victory as manager 20 years later.
Topics: France, Football World Cup, Didier Deschamps
Josh Lawless