Fifa Rejects France Request To Honor Didier Deschamps Late Mother Governing Body Reveals Reason Behind Decision
Hindustan Times
France secured the top spot in their group after a commanding 4-1 victory over Norway. However, unlike their previous two matches, head coach Didier Deschamps was not present on the sidelines to...
France secured the top spot in their group after a commanding 4-1 victory over Norway. However, unlike their previous two matches, head coach Didier Deschamps was not present on the sidelines to guide Les Bleus during the game.
The French coach departed the United States a few days earlier after a heartbreaking family tragedy, which forced him to miss the final group-stage match.
Reports suggested that Deschamps returned to his homeland following the unfortunate passing of his mother, traveling back to attend her funeral.
For the same reason, the French national team reportedly requested FIFA’s permission for players to wear black armbands during Friday’s match in tribute to the head coach’s late mother.
However, the tournament’s governing body reportedly refused to grant approval, reported The Sun.
The French Football Federation (FFF) also faced an awkward reversal after it prematurely announced a planned minute’s silence in memory of Deschamps’ mother.
The federation later clarified that FIFA had already dedicated the tribute to honour the victims of the Venezuela earthquake, leaving no provision for an additional commemoration.
In addition, the FFF revealed that a separate request for Les Bleus to wear black armbands was also turned down, a decision that has since drawn scrutiny toward the governing body.
The French camp has received a positive update, with their head coach—who missed the Norway game—expected to rejoin the squad soon.
The assistant coach, Guy Stephan, who stepped in during Deschamps’ absence, confirmed that the 57-year-old manager is likely to be back with the team by Saturday.
“Obviously I am thinking a lot about Didier. I will talk to him later but we are all really pleased that he is coming back really soon and he will be at training tomorrow afternoon,” Guy said in the press conference after the Norway game.
The former midfielder has been in charge of his national team since 2012, leading them to World Cup success in Russia in 2018 and guiding them to another final four years later, where they were beaten by Argentina.
France went into the match knowing that anything other than a defeat against Norway would guarantee them top spot in Group I.
Even in the absence of the coach who has become the defining figure of the national side over the past decade, Les Bleus delivered a dominant performance to comfortably overcome a Norway team that was also missing key stars Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard.
Ousmane Dembele produced a stunning first-half hat-trick, while Désiré Doué added a late fourth goal to cap off a commanding victory.
France will now take on Sweden in the Round of 32 on Tuesday at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
Ojas Jaiswal is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times, currently working with the US Desk, where he covers a wide spectrum of American sports and global news developments. From high-intensity NFL moments on the field to the latest off-court NBA storylines, he specializes in delivering engaging, audience-driven stories that blend factual accuracy with compelling narratives. A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Bennett University, Ojas brings over two years of experience in digital journalism. Before joining Hindustan Times, he worked with EssentiallySports, a leading digital sports media platform catering to American sports audiences, where he contributed across multiple editorial and engagement-focused roles. He also interned with Times Network at the Sports Desk, producing articles and video content across diverse sports, ranging from Formula 1 to football. Known for his commitment to factual and accurate reporting, Ojas was awarded a Certificate of Excellence in Editing during his college years. Beyond sports journalism, he closely follows international affairs and global developments, while also exploring documentaries from different cultures and regions around the world. A lifelong football enthusiast, Ojas has admired Lionel Messi since childhood and continues to draw inspiration from the football icon’s journey and legacy.Read More