Didier Deschamps will bring down the curtain on a remarkable 14-year tenure as France manager not with a trophy, but with a third-place play-off appearance — the consequence of a 2-0 defeat to Spain in Tuesday's World Cup semi-final in Dallas.

The 57-year-old, who achieved the rare distinction of winning the World Cup as both a player in 1998 and a manager in 2018, saw his ambitions of a historic third title extinguished as France mustered a limp display, managing just 10 shots — their lowest total in any World Cup match — and an expected goals figure of a mere 0.3 against a side they were widely tipped to beat.

A night to forget in Dallas

Former France midfielder Patrick Vieira did not mince his words in his assessment for ITV. "They haven't shown up. I was expecting more. There was a big expectation for France to win the World Cup," he said. "All our top players went missing. Collectively we were really bad."

The defeat is a bitter ending for a man who has guided France to extraordinary heights. Deschamps set a new record in Dallas, becoming the manager with the most World Cup games overseen — 26 — surpassing the previous mark of 25 shared with former West Germany boss Helmut Schon. He won 20 of those 26 matches, losing just three times.

France will face the loser of England versus Argentina in Miami on Saturday (22:00 BST) in what will be Deschamps' final match in charge. He confirmed in January 2025 that he would step aside after this tournament.

"It's not time to talk about the future," Deschamps said at his post-match press conference. "I am extremely happy. I am very proud of everything we've done to reach this stage and to win a World Cup — to take the French team to the highest level. We must accept today without forgetting everything we experienced."

'He deserved to exit by the big door'

Deschamps stands among only three individuals to have lifted the World Cup as both a player and a manager, alongside Brazil's Mario Zagallo and West Germany's Franz Beckenbauer. His 14-year reign also places him among the most durable international coaches of the modern era.

As a player or manager, he was involved in more than half of France's all-time World Cup victories — and in each of the two occasions they have raised the trophy. Only three nations had previously reached at least the quarter-finals in four consecutive tournaments before France achieved the same feat.

Former France striker Olivier Giroud, who won the 2018 World Cup under Deschamps and now serves as a BBC pundit, paid tribute to his former coach. "There was extra motivation for all the players at this World Cup to give Didier the ending he wanted, and deserved," Giroud said. "He deserved to exit by the big door. He did not quite manage that, but he is still a great, for what he has already done in his 14 years. His record does the talking for him."

Giroud added: "For Didier, his philosophy was more like: 'you are big players, I leave you some freedom on the pitch.' The biggest thing he taught us was his desire, his drive, and his ambition to be the absolute best and to win every single game. His competitive mindset was so clear."

Zidane favourite to take the reins

Despite the disappointment against Spain, the scale of France's transformation under Deschamps remains striking. He took charge in 2012 following a turbulent period that included group-stage exits at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, during which the squad famously refused to train amid a dispute with then-manager Raymond Domenech.

Former Arsenal and Manchester City full-back Gaël Clichy, now manager of third-tier Caen and a player in Deschamps' first year in charge, spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live: "His legacy was that he took a team that was below par and managed to bring it back to the top. What he has done for French football as a player and a coach is fantastic — it is phenomenal."

The tournament also featured joint top scorer Kylian Mbappe, Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele, and Bayern Munich's emerging talent Michael Olise, making the manner of the semi-final exit all the more sobering.

Zinedine Zidane is widely regarded as the frontrunner to succeed Deschamps. ESPN reported in March that a verbal agreement was already in place for the 54-year-old — who won three Champions League titles as manager of Real Madrid — to take over this summer. Zidane, who lifted the 1998 World Cup alongside Deschamps as a player, has not managed a club since leaving Real Madrid in 2021.

Clichy offered a word of caution for whoever steps into Deschamps' shoes: "The guy who comes in behind him will find it hard. It won't be easy."