Deschamps confirms World Cup exit as Barcola dodges PSG future question

Deschamps confirms this is his last World Cup

Didier Deschamps will leave the France job after this tournament. He confirmed it himself, and the tone was not sombre. RMC Sport reports he has never felt so liberated in the role (1). No tears, no nostalgia tour, just a manager determined to go out on his own terms.

One more match with his trusted XI first. France are expected to field the same starting eleven against Paraguay as they did against Sweden (4). Continuity is the plan.

Barcola dodges PSG future question

Bradley Barcola was asked about his club future during the World Cup. His answer was evasive (7). The forward is focused on the tournament, but PSG supporters will read between the lines. No commitment, no denial.

Koundé shrugs off the noise

Jules Koundé does not care what you think. "Je suis assez imperméable là-dessus", I am pretty impervious to that, he told RMC Sport when asked about criticism of his France performances (5). The Barcelona defender is locked in and giving nothing away.

The squad is genuinely tight

RMC Sport has a piece on why this France group is living so well together this summer (6). The headline says it plainly: the atmosphere is top. For a team that has carried the weight of past tournament drama, that matters.

Scaloni is watching France

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni addressed France's form ahead of his own team's knockout match against Cape Verde (8). He is paying attention. The whispers of a potential France-Argentina final have not gone unnoticed on either side of the bracket.