FIFA May Sanction Didier Deschamps After Controversial Comments on Referee
France came into the World Cup semifinal in red hot form after convincingly defeating Morocco 2-0 in the quarterfinals. This French side was touted as the clear favorite to defeat Spain and win it all. But, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
No soccer fan could have predicted that France would go down this way. This Kylian Mbappe-led team was played off the park by Spain’s tactical and technical superiority. To add to this, Spain looked the hungrier of the two, winning virtually every 50-50 duels while relentlessly applying high pressure. It was reminiscent of Pep Guardiola’s prime Barcelona.
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France’s Kylian Mbappe reacts after sustaining an injury against Morocco.REUTERS – Mike Segar
The European giants took the lead through Mikel Oyarzabal, before Pedro Porro doubled the advantage. But the game wasn’t devoid of controversy. The penalty scored by Oyarzabal was won by Lamine Yamal. Before the blatant foul by Lucas Digne, it was evident that the ball had touched Yamal’s hand, but VAR refused to overturn the decision.
Another controversial moment came when Michael Olise made a reckless challenge on Rodri around the 20 minute, which could have easily been a red card. French coach Didier Deschamps didn’t hold back while discussing the officiating. Speaking on the matter, he said. “I will ask a question… does the referee possess the required level to manage a World Cup semi-final?”
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But these comments could spell bad news for Deschamps. The Athletic recently reported that FIFA is set to sanction both players and coaches who have harmed the image of the game with their comments, based on the report from the referees after the World Cup.
These comments could potentially put Didier Deschamps under FIFA’s scanner and he could face disciplinary action after the World Cup.
For now, Didier Deschamps will prepare his team for the third-place game against the loser of the Argentina-England semifinal. This is expected to be his last match as the France’s head coach, as Zinedine Zidane is set to take over after the World Cup.
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Related: FIFA Faces Backlash After Controversial Lamine Yamal Decision
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Soccer section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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