Henry: Replacing Deschamps Will Be Too Difficult, His Success Has Nothing To Do With Luck

French legend Thierry Henry has lauded Didier Deschamps, the national team coach, following France's third consecutive World Cup semi-final appearance. The former Arsenal star stated that Deschamps would leave a significant void in the French national team, even if his successor were the iconic Zinedine Zidane.

Speaking as a commentator for Fox Sports, Henry remarked, “It will be incredibly difficult to replace Deschamps. Many people say he's lucky. No, that has nothing to do with luck. Success comes from the courage to take risks. He always takes risks, but they are calculated. Believe me, he possesses a brilliant mind.”

The 1998 World Cup winner also highlighted that what sets Deschamps apart is his involvement in almost all of French football's glorious moments. Deschamps won the World Cup and European Championship as a player, then triumphed at the 2018 World Cup as a manager, leading "Les Bleus" to the finals of a European Championship and another World Cup. Furthermore, the Juventus legend also secured the Nations League title with France in 2021.

According to Henry, this immense legacy makes succeeding Deschamps an incredibly challenging prospect. Even an icon like Zidane would face immense pressure if he were to take over the French national team in the future.

World Cup matches are broadcast live on bnt.sportal.bg. The platform will stream all 104 matches from the 2026 World Cup schedule in real-time.

Incidentally, Deschamps is also the only living football legend among just three individuals to have won the World Cup both as a player and as a coach. The others are Germany's Franz Beckenbauer and Brazil's Mário Zagallo.