French · Bayonne, France · Born 15 October 1968French football midfielder and manager who captained France to 1998 World Cup victory, then coached them to 2018 World Cup triumph as manager.
Didier Deschamps was born in Bayonne, France in 1968. As a player he won the Champions League with Marseille (1993), won the World Cup with France in 1998 — the country's first — and Euro 2000. He was nicknamed the water carrier by Éric Cantona — a description of his role as a holding midfielder focused on defensive work rather than individual brilliance. He won Serie A four consecutive times with Juventus. As France's national coach from 2012 he built the team that won the 2018 World Cup — becoming the third person in history, and only the second Frenchman, to win the World Cup as both player and coach alongside Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer. He led France to the 2022 World Cup Final — losing to Argentina — and Euro 2024 semi-final. His tactical pragmatism, squad management and ability to draw maximum collective performance from squads of individual stars has been France's defining coaching approach.
Only person to win World Cup as both player and manager
How They Played
Defensive midfielder known for work rate, leadership and tactical intelligence
Lasting Impact
Legendary captain and tactically astute manager who transformed French football
Career Honours
- World Cup (1998 player, 2018 coach)
- Euro (2000)
- Champions League (1993)
- Ligue 1 8x (as coach)
- Champions League 1993
- Champions League 1996
- Serie A 1995
- Serie A 1997
- Serie A 1998
- FA Cup 2000
| Club | Period | Apps | Goals | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nantes | 1985–1989 | 82 | 34 | #9 |
| Juventus | 1994–1999 | 164 | 10 | — |
| Chelsea | 1999–2000 | 22 | 0 | — |
| Marseille | 1989–1994 | 155 | 9 | — |
| Bordeaux | 1999–2000 | 30 | 1 | — |
| Valencia | 2000–2001 | 28 | 0 | — |
 France | — | 103 | 4 | — |
French Athletes