France captain Kylian Mbappé paid an emotional tribute to head coach Didier Deschamps after the veteran manager returned to the touchline following the death of his mother, as Les Bleus defeated Sweden to book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16.Mbappé, who scored twice in France’s commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden, dedicated his first goal to Deschamps by sprinting to the French dugout and embracing his coach, with the rest of the squad joining in a touching show of unity. The gesture came after Deschamps missed France’s final group-stage match to be with his family following his mother’s passing.
Mbappé: ‘There are things more important than a World Cup’
Speaking after the match, Mbappé explained why celebrating with Deschamps mattered more than any personal milestone.“There are things that are more important than a World Cup, more important than you,” Mbappé told reporters, as quoted by USA Today.The France skipper stressed that the squad wanted to stand firmly behind their coach during one of the toughest moments of his life.“But as I said, it’s in this group’s DNA to stick together, to really be united. We’re all behind the coach, no matter what happens, no matter what’s going to happen. We’re all behind him, and we wanted him to know he wasn’t alone,” he said.France defender Malo Gusto echoed the captain’s sentiments, saying the players wanted to repay the faith Deschamps has always shown in them.“I think that was important. I think Kylian did that to support our coach, too. It was a tough time for him. It was up to us to return the favour. I think we did really well tonight,” Gusto said.The emotional scenes capped another outstanding performance from Mbappé, who scored twice as France comfortably progressed to the last 16, where they will face Paraguay.
Deschamps moved by captain’s gesture
Deschamps admitted Mbappé’s celebration deeply touched him and praised the unity shown by his players throughout his absence.“Kylian’s gesture touched me deeply. He has been exemplary from day one. The group was united, and they did what was necessary when I wasn’t there. Team spirit doesn’t win games, but it can certainly lose them,” Deschamps said, according to Franceinfo.Reflecting on France’s qualification, the World Cup-winning coach said the team deserved to celebrate another successful step in their campaign.“This step has been taken, it’s logical and natural, but you have to appreciate it when things are done well,” he said.Deschamps also reaffirmed France’s collective ambition of lifting another World Cup trophy.“We’re on a mission, me too, with them,” he added.The victory also added another milestone to Deschamps’ remarkable coaching career, making him the manager with the most knockout-stage victories in FIFA World Cup history with nine.