France head coach Didier Deschamps has urged his players and supporters to keep their feet firmly on the ground despite another commanding FIFA World Cup performance, insisting Les Bleus are “only in the last eight” and still have much tougher tests ahead.
France continued their impressive march through the tournament with a convincing 3-0 victory over Sweden, extending their perfect record and reinforcing their status as one of the favourites to lift the trophy.
Yet Deschamps refused to be swept away by growing excitement surrounding his side, stressing that qualification alone should not distract them from the challenges still to come.
“We did what we had to do, even if our first 15 minutes were a little timid,” Deschamps told reporters after the match.
“We have this ability to create chances. The only regret is that we weren’t more efficient in the first half because we could have finished the game much earlier.”
Didier Deschamps insists France have achieved nothing despite a dominant 3-0 win over Sweden, warning his players against complacency ahead of a World Cup Round of 16 clash with Paraguay.
The France coach praised his players for wearing Sweden down before taking complete control after the interval.
“We made them run so much that there was more fatigue in the second half. Congratulations to the players because it’s never easy at this stage of the competition.”
Despite France’s free-scoring form, Deschamps dismissed suggestions his side have become an unstoppable force.
“It’s great to be in the last eight, but we’re only in the last eight,” he said.
“We have to keep that confidence, but in four days another opponent awaits us with different qualities.”
The veteran coach also brushed aside claims that France have no obvious weaknesses after another dominant display.
“There are always problems,” he said.
“There are things we still have to improve. We don’t have to be perfect, and we’re not going to fall into euphoria either.”
READMORE: NPFL unveils long-term roadmap with 2026/27 and 2027/28 dates confirmed
Deschamps believes the knockout stages demand even greater standards, with every remaining opponent capable of punishing the smallest lapse.
“We have to raise our level because the teams we face now will attack better and defend better.
“It’s the World Cup. These are the best teams.”
France will now turn their attention to Paraguay, who stunned Germany to reach the quarter-finals.
Deschamps admitted he has been impressed by the South Americans but warned his players not to underestimate what lies ahead.
“I saw their match,” he said.
“Germany have a lot of quality too, but Paraguay are there because they deserve to be.
“They have good players and they have that aggressiveness in their DNA. They know how to defend, they know how to fight.”
While France have scored freely throughout the tournament, Deschamps believes maintaining humility could prove just as important as maintaining their attacking brilliance.
“For now we should appreciate what we’ve done,” he added.
“Then after 48 hours we reset and start again, because we know exactly what awaits us.”
CLICK HERE TO JOIN ATHLETIC NG WHATSAPP CHANNEL NOW!
France will face Paraguay in the quarterfinals as Deschamps attempts to guide Les Bleus one step closer to another World Cup crown, while ensuring the growing belief around his squad never turns into complacency.
