Washington, USA – Didier Deschamps, the coach of the French national football team, spoke about the challenges his team faces during their current training camp in the United States, in preparation for the 2026 World Cup.
The French national team, nicknamed “Les Bleus” (The Blues), played two friendlies on American soil, securing a 2-1 victory against Brazil. They now face a highly anticipated match against Colombia this Sunday evening.
During the press conference, Deschamps explained that the team is adapting well to the weather conditions. He emphasized that the main problem is not the distances, but rather the travel time and traffic congestion, which can sometimes cause delays in arriving at training sessions.
The French coach noted the team’s difficulties upon arrival, saying they spent a long time at the airport due to unusual security checks. However, he emphasized that these circumstances were anticipated and underscored the importance of playing friendly matches in cities like Boston to gain valuable experience before the tournament.
He added that he had previously been in the United States during the Club World Cup, where he experienced the different conditions and increased complexity. He anticipated that high temperatures would be a significant factor during the summer, making recovery crucial.
He also pointed to another challenge related to the distance of media activities from the training ground. These activities take up about 45 minutes, and he emphasized the coaching staff’s efforts to reduce them as much as possible to maintain the players’ focus and minimize energy drain, especially with matches being played at potentially exhausting times like 3 or 5 pm.
The French national football team is preparing to compete in the World Cup in Group I, alongside Senegal, one of the qualifiers from the intercontinental play-offs (Path 2), and Norway.
