Why Rayan Cherki vs Deschamps is not real France drama
Rayan Cherki's viral brush-off of Didier Deschamps after France's 3-0 World Cup win over Sweden is not a full-blown soap opera, former France international Louis Saha told Goal.com. The Manchester City playmaker's limited minutes and raw emotion explain the awkward pitch-side moment—not a manager-player feud, Saha argues.
France are no strangers to World Cup headlines, but this clip spread fast. After Les Bleus sealed the round of 16 on June 30 with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Bradley Barcola, cameras caught Cherki appearing to ignore Deschamps on the pitch.
Key Takeaways
- Viral footage shows Rayan Cherki seeming to snub Didier Deschamps after France's 3-0 win over Sweden.
- Former France striker Louis Saha told Goal.com the incident is "not drama" but normal World Cup frustration.
- Cherki has played just 55 minutes across four substitute appearances at the tournament, including five against Sweden.
- Social media fans read hostility into the moment, though it remains unclear whether any real rift exists.
- Deschamps said after the match that finding problems is fine—"it shouldn't all be sunshine and roses."
What happened after France beat Sweden?
France's 3-0 victory over Sweden on Tuesday night sent them into the knockout stage. OneFootball noted that Mbappé scored twice and Barcola added another as Graham Potter's side were routed at MetLife Stadium.
When the final whistle blew, Deschamps walked onto the pitch to congratulate his squad. The Sun reported that late substitute Cherki initially moved in the opposite direction when he saw the manager approaching.
Footage shared widely on social media shows Cherki waving to supporters before Deschamps reached out. Cherki appeared to brush the coach's hand away, then bent down to adjust his socks as Deschamps tried again, turning his head away from the embrace.
Why are fans convinced Rayan Cherki hates Deschamps?
The Sun said World Cup viewers reckoned player and manager were "at war" after spotting the tense exchange. One fan posted on X: "Damn, Cherki hates Deschamps." Another wrote: "He's not even hiding his frustration."
Others speculated the relationship was broken, though the tabloid noted it is not clear what caused any tension—or whether a rift exists at all. Cherki's minutes have been scarce despite a strong debut season at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.
He has come off the bench in all four of France's matches for a combined 55 minutes, with Deschamps giving him only five against Sweden. Competition from stars such as Michael Olise has kept the 22-year-old on the periphery.
What did Louis Saha say about the incident?
Speaking to Goal.com via Freebets.com, Saha—who won 20 caps for France—dismissed the idea of a major fallout. "I think that's not drama," he said. "I think that's part of the communication, body language."
Saha added that Cherki "has to manage it and maybe do it behind closed doors," but called the emotion "healthy." He urged Deschamps to tell the playmaker he understands the difficulty while reminding him the squad comes first.
The former striker drew on his own career, admitting he once handled similar frustration poorly: "I wanted to go on the field and because I didn't have the minutes, I thought I could have played more every time I came on, I was so excited I got bookings and I didn't play."
Saha said a World Cup only arrives every four years, making contained frustration "totally normal." He argued anyone with Cherki's quality and confidence would find limited minutes "extremely hard to contain."
Is there really a rift between Cherki and Deschamps?
OneFootball asked whether the moment was a misunderstanding or a real falling-out. Deschamps praised his players at the press conference and appeared unfazed by the online storm, saying: "Go ahead, find problems, that's good. It shouldn't all be sunshine and roses."
The Sun noted Deschamps is set to step down after the tournament, with Zinedine Zidane reportedly in line to replace him—a change that could eventually give Cherki a fresh start. For now, the viral clip fits a long line of bizarre World Cup moments, the kind of story that often surfaces in our Bizarre News & Florida Man coverage.
Saha's verdict aligns with Deschamps' broader message: talented squads produce individual disappointment, but that does not automatically mean civil war. For full context on Saha's comments, see the original reporting at Goal.com.