France coach Didier Deschamps makes feelings clear about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo playing 2026 World Cup

France coach Didier Deschamps has admitted that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be special for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He heaped praise on the duo for dominating football for 15 years, while talking about them after the draw.

Speaking to Olé, Deschamps said that Messi and Ronaldo deserve to be at the FIFA World Cup for their contributions to Argentina, Portugal, and football since their debuts. The French coach said:

"They are two players who have marked international soccer for more than 15 years; without a doubt, it is something special for them."

When asked if he was looking for revenge against Argentina after the 2022 FIFA World Cup final loss, he added:

"There is no rematch in soccer. Argentina won and there is nothing we can do about it now. This is a new competition and we are going to try to go as far as possible."

Deschamps believes his side are among the favorites for the World Cup once again and hopes to come out victorious. He said:

"France can be a contender. As in every World Cup, there are between six and seven teams that can win, but in the end, only one wins. To be the best, you have to beat all the teams."

Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that he will be at the tournament next summer, and FIFA have suspended his red card ban following his sending off against Ireland in the qualifiers. Lionel Messi is yet to confirm his participation, but has hinted that he wants to be with the squad.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal not among Lionel Messi's FIFA World Cup favorites

Lionel Messi spoke to ESPN earlier this month and snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal while naming his favorites for the FIFA World Cup next summer. He named Spain, England, Brazil, Germany, and France as the main challengers for Argentina and said (via MARCA):

"There are some very good teams... Spain, France again, England, Brazil, who also haven't been champions for a long time and want to be champions. Germany, who always wanted to beat Argentina, now even more so after the last World Cup. It's very difficult, but I have no doubt that they will fight for it."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will be creating history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first players to feature in six editions of the tournament.