Didier Deschamps 'very sad' after World Cup final defeat but yet to decide on future

Les Bleus manager will make call on position in new year following heart-breaking shooot-out defeat against Argentina in Qatar

Lionel Messi holds up the trophy after Argentina defeated France on penalties in the World Cup final at Lusail Stadium in Qatar, on Sunday, December 18, 2022. AP

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates after beating France. AP

France's Kylian Mbappe walks past the trophy at the end of the match. AP

Argentina's Lionel Messi holds up the Golden Ball award for best player of the tournament. AP

Argentina celebrate victory at Lusail Stadium. Getty

Lionel Messi of Argentina kisses the trophy after beating France 4-2 on penalties. EPA

Argentina celebrate victory. AP

Argentina captain Lionel Messi celebrates with World Cup trophy. PA

Kylian Mbappe of France with his Golden Boot award for finishing as the tournament's top scorer. EPA

Argentina players celebrate after winning the World Cup final penalty shoot-out against France. Getty

Argentina players celebrate victory. Getty

Argentina's Lautaro Martinez and Lionel Messi celebrate after winning the World Cup. Reuters

Argentina's Leandro Paredes celebrates scoring the winning penalty against France. Getty

Argentina's Leandro Paredes celebrates scoring during the penalty shoot-out against France. Reuters

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saves from Kingsley Coman of France in the penalty shoot-out. Getty

Lionel Messi scores for Argentina in the penalty shoot-out. Getty

Emiliano Martinez of Argentina celebrates after saving Kingsley Coman's penalty. Getty

Kylian Mbappe completes his hat-trick from the spot to make it 3-3. Getty

Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his, and France's, third goal. Getty

Lionel Messi scores Argentina's third goal. Getty

Lionel Messi celebrates scoring Argentina's third goal. Getty

Lionel Messi scores Argentina's third goal. Reuters

Lionel Messi celebrates scoring Argentina's third goal. PA

Argentina's Lionel Messi goes for a high challenge on Eduardo Camavinga of France. Getty

Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates after scoring Argentina's third. AFP

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is beaten by the penalty of France's Kylian Mbappe. Getty

Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring France's second goal. PA

Argentina's Nicolas Otamendi fouls Randal Kolo Muani of France giving away a penalty. Getty

Kylian Mbappe volleys home France's second goal. Getty

Argentina attacker Angel Di Maria skips past the challenge of France's Antoine Griezmann. PA

Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring the first France goal. Getty

Kylian Mbappe scores France's first goal from the penalty spot. Reuters

Angel Di Maria celebrates scoring Argentina's second goal. Reuters

Argentina's Lionel Messi sends France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris the wrong way from the spot. Getty

France's Kylian Mbappe with Lionel Messi of Argentina. Getty

Angel Di Maria scores for Argentina in the first-half. Getty

France's Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and Adrien Rabiot after Argentina made it 2-0. PA

Argentina's Angel Di Maria celebrates after scoring with France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris on his knees. Reuters

Argentina's Nicolas Tagliafico and Randal Kolo Muani fight for the ball. AP

Angel Di Maria celebrates after scoring for Argentina. Getty

Lionel Messi is mobbed by Argentina teammates after scoring. Getty

France's Jules Kounde heads the ball. AP

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring for Argentina. Getty

Argentina attacker Angel Di Maria earns a penalty after going down under the challenge of France's Ousmane Dembele. Getty

France's Olivier Giroud shakes hands with manager Didier Deschamps after being substituted in the first half. PA

Lionel Messi scores from the spot for Argentina. PA

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring a first-half penalty for Argentina. Getty

France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris saves from Argentina's Julian Alvarez. AP

France manager Didier Deschamps, left, with his Argentina counterpart Lionel Scaloni before the game. AP

Argentina players before the match. AP

France players before the match. Getty

Didier Deschamps has said that he will take his time before deciding on whether he will stay on as France manager after his team lost to Argentina in a dramatic World Cup final on Sunday.

Lionel Messi and Argentina beat the reigning champions 4-2 on penalties at the Lusail Stadium in Doha after a thrilling 120 minutes of action had finished 3-3.

Deschamps' side had fought back from 2-0 and 3-2 down, thanks to a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe, before misses from Kingsley Coman and Aurelian Tchouameni handed the South Americans a 4-2 shoot-out win.

The prevented Deschamps – who captained Les Bleus to glory in 1998 – from becoming the first coach to win the World Cup twice since Vittorio Pozzo in the 1930s. It also meant France failed in their bid to become the first team in 60 years to retain the trophy.

The 54-year-old, in charge since 2012, is now out of contract but French Football Federation President Noel Le Graet had said Deschamps would be offered new terms if he reached the semi-finals.

Asked whether the result of the final would influence a decision on his future, Deschamps said: “Even with a different result I would not have given an answer today.”

“Obviously I am very sad. I will have a meeting with the president at the start of the new year and you will know after that,” he added.

Argentina beat France in World Cup final: Player ratings

It was a rollercoaster evening for both countries in what many observers have called the greatest World Cup final of all time.

First-half goals from Messi and Angel Di Maria had put Argentina firmly in the driving seat, sparking Deschamps into making a double substitution before the break with Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani replacing Olivier Giroud and Dembele.

But it took a quick-fire Mbappe double ten minutes from time to turn the game on its head and force extra-time, in which the Paris Saint-Germain striker scored again from a penalty to complete his hat-trick and make it 3-3 after Messi had put the opposition back in front.

“We were not as good in the first 60 minutes against top-quality opponents who had a lot more energy, but we came back from nowhere and turned the game around from a very difficult situation. That leaves us with even more regrets,” admitted Deschamps.

Muani was denied a last-gasp winner by goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in extra-time, and Argentina then won the shoot-out, with Coman seeing his penalty saved and Tchouameni missing the target.

“We had a chance to win the World Cup in the last minute but it wasn't to be,” Deschamps said. “At 2-0 there would not have been the same regrets, you just say 'bravo' to them.

“I don't want to take any merit away from Argentina but there were lots and lots of emotions and it was cruel at the end because we were so close.”

Deschamps suggested that the virus which laid low several of his players in the run-up to the final was partly to blame for their poor performance over the first hour.

“There were many reasons which explained why we were not as good. Several important players had less energy but bringing on younger players with less experience but plenty of freshness and quality allowed us to keep dreaming.

“But unfortunately the dream did not come true.”

Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano both returned after missing the semi-final win over Morocco due to illness.

Raphael Varane started having missed training on Friday with cold-like symptoms but the sluggish performance of Deschamps' team for long spells suggested others were also struggling.

“The whole squad had had to face up to a difficult situation. Did that have a physical or psychological impact? Maybe, I don't know,” said Deschamps.

“I wasn't worried for the players who started, but maybe it was just the matches catching up with us, and we had four days to prepare, one day fewer than them.

“These are not excuses but we were not as dynamic as we had been and that was why it was practically not a contest for an hour.”