France head coach Didier Deschamps spoke to M6 following the 3-0 victory over Iraq this Monday evening during Matchday 2 of the 2026 World Cup. The coach was notably asked about the unusual two-hour break at halftime caused by a thunderstorm.
Deschamps: “We were waiting. Our restart slots kept getting pushed back.”
Didier, what did you do in the dressing room during the long two-hour delay?
“We played cards (joking). We were waiting. Our restart slots kept getting pushed back. My counterpart Graham [Arnold, Iraq’s head coach] and I wanted a 20-minute window to warm up so we wouldn’t take any risks. The water had to be cleared off the pitch, too. It’s the first time this has happened to me, and I hope it’s the last, even though I know the risk is always there. It was a long time between the start and the end of the match, especially since we have another game coming up in four days. The main objective has been achieved with qualification [for the Round of 32].”
Deschamps: “It’s a matter of safety; I don’t hold it against anyone.”
You seem a bit annoyed…
“No, I’m not annoyed; we were calm, and I was joking with the players. It’s a matter of safety; I don’t hold it against anyone. That’s just how it is—you can’t fight the weather. We respect local regulations whenever there’s a risk involved. It doesn’t upset me. These are unusual circumstances; I just hope it doesn’t happen again.
We’ll be getting back late tonight (Monday), and we’ll almost certainly have to reschedule the planned training session.” “I prefer to return tonight so the players can sleep at the base camp,” said Deschamps, as reported by La Dépêche.
It is easy to imagine that the wait was tough for the players involved in the match. It was hard for the fans, of course, but more difficult to manage when there was a second half to prepare for—both in terms of maintaining focus and avoiding injuries upon the restart. Indeed, regarding the former, we saw Iraq concede the second goal rather foolishly due to a poor pass from a goal kick.
Ultimately, Deschamps highlights the most important factor: safety. Caution and patience were required. It was an unusual situation, certainly, but far preferable to an incident occurring—even if it did impact post-match recovery. It is now up to the staff to find the best solutions to prepare for what lies ahead: a battle against Norway this Friday for top spot.
