Didier Deschamps ends his extensive and celebrated association with France in a manner far from ideal during Saturday's World Cup third-place playoff.

The 57-year-old who secured the World Cup both as a player in 1998 and as coach in 2018 saw his hopes for a third triumph dashed following a 2-0 loss to Spain in Tuesday's opening semifinal.

After progressing through the competition with strong attacking performances France recorded only 10 shots in the Dallas match their lowest World Cup total and posted an expected goals figure of 0.3 falling well short of their favored status.

Former France midfielder Patrick Vieira told ITV that the team failed to appear as expected with significant hopes for a World Cup victory and noted that all top players were absent while the collective effort proved poor.

Mbappe appeared to question the tactical setup remarking that the midfield faced a three-against-two disadvantage against Spain and highlighted insufficient communication in pressing along with technical errors that prevented them from challenging effectively.

Deschamps who has led the side since 2012 established a new mark in Dallas for the most World Cup matches managed at 26 surpassing the previous shared record of 25 held by ex-West Germany coach Helmut Schon.

He announced in January 2025 his intention to depart after the tournament and will conclude his tenure against the loser of England versus Argentina in Miami on Saturday at 22:00 BST.

Deschamps stated in his post-match press conference that it was not the moment to discuss the future and emphasized pride in guiding the team to this level and securing a World Cup while accepting the current outcome without overlooking past achievements.

He stands among only three individuals to claim the World Cup as both player and manager joining Brazil's Mario Zagallo and West Germany's Franz Beckenbauer and his 14-year tenure remains uncommon in modern football.

Deschamps secured 20 victories in 26 World Cup matches as France manager suffering just three defeats including this one to Spain and participated in more than half of France's World Cup wins as player or coach along with both title triumphs.

Only three prior teams have advanced to the quarterfinals or beyond in four consecutive tournaments and France came close in 2022 by reaching the final before falling to Argentina on penalties.

Additional output was anticipated from this squad featuring leading scorer Kylian Mbappe Ballon d'Or recipient Ousmane Dembele and emerging talent Michael Olise yet they could not overcome Spain's organized defense and midfield.

Former France striker Olivier Giroud noted the extra drive among players to deliver the desired conclusion for Deschamps and described him as a great figure whose record speaks volumes while highlighting his role as a mentor who instilled confidence and a winning mindset.

Ex-France defender Gael Clichy praised Deschamps on BBC Radio 5 Live for transforming a struggling side into a top contender after taking over from Laurent Blanc in 2012 and building unity around a steady flow of talent.

Deschamps who previously managed Monaco Juventus and Marseille improved results markedly after earlier tournament disappointments and guided France to the Euro 2016 final on home soil plus the 2024 semifinals though he could not secure that title.

Clichy added that Deschamps elevated French football to an exceptional standard and that his accomplishments as player and coach stand as phenomenal leaving a strong legacy.

The leading candidate to succeed Deschamps is former teammate Zinedine Zidane who won the 1998 World Cup with him and secured three Champions League titles during his time at Real Madrid before departing in 2021.

Clichy observed that the incoming manager will face a challenging task in following such a successful era.