Did he deliberately insult the Iraqi national team? Deschamps. We played cards instead of football

Didier Deschamps, coach of the French national team, made exciting and sarcastic statements during the press conference following the Roosters’ game against Iraq, revealing extraordinary scenes before the start of the 2026 World Cup.

Answering the question about the long delay before the starting whistle, Deschamps said. During the post-match press conference“We were playing cards. No, well, we waited. We had meetings coming up all the time.” French sarcasm summed up the state of confusion over both teams due to the weather conditions.

The coach of the 2018 world champions explained. “It rained heavily and made the field very strong. This was the first time something like this happened to me and my players.”

Heavy rain turned the pitch into a quagmire, forcing everyone to recalculate, and directly affected the plans of the two technical staff before the game.

Arnold asks for 20 minutes…no risk

Deschamps revealed that the most important thing for Iraq coach Australia’s Graham Arnold was to “take 20 minutes to warm up and not take any risks”, as the Iraqi coach preferred the safety of his players to sticking to the schedule, in a logical decision on a pitch that everyone described as “heavy and dangerous”.

Repeated delays in appointments and waiting for the atmosphere to improve put the French players in a tense situation they were not used to, as Deschamps noted that the situation was strange for his entire squad, from the technical staff to the players who were used to the precision and discipline of major tournaments.

Deschamps’ ironic statements did not hide his displeasure with the circumstances, but at the same time reflected the sense of humor with which he faced an exceptional situation. On a night where tactics and goals should have been the hero, rain, waiting and “cards” became the side headlines that stole the limelight before the kick-off whistle.