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France's attacking midfielder, Rayan Cherki, will likely want to forget the 2026 World Cup. He started in the third-place playoff against England, a match lost 6-4, but was part of the "Les Bleus" first-half collapse before being substituted at halftime.
Beyond his subpar performance during that ill-fated first half for the French, media reports from France reveal that the Manchester City player had a heated exchange with head coach Didier Deschamps during a hydration break.
According to sources, during the hydration break in the match against England, the coach admonished Cherki to pass the ball more quickly. However, the footballer reportedly responded disrespectfully to Didier Deschamps.
Instead of reacting angrily, the French coach spoke with Michael Olise, aiming for the Bayern winger to encourage Cherki. He then also conversed with Désiré Doué and Kylian Mbappé. Evidently, this intervention didn't help, and the Manchester City player was ultimately substituted at halftime.
The reputable "L'Équipe" also heavily criticized the former Lyon player, giving him a dismal rating of just 2 out of 10. Cherki's World Cup campaign ended disappointingly, without a single goal or assist, having primarily featured from the bench for France.
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