France further cemented their status as the 2026 World Cup favourites with a comfortable 3-0 win over Sweden in the Round of 32 on Tuesday - but an eyebrow-raising incident between head coach Didier Deschamps and one of his players has gone viral on social media.
Kylian Mbappe produced another inspired performance as Les Bleus booked their place in the last 16, where they will face Paraguay at the Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday.
The Real Madrid superstar scored two more goals and now sits level with Argentina’s Lionel Messi on six goals in the race for the Golden Boot award. He also improved his chances of winning his first ever Ballon d’Or award as he moved two goals clear of Germany legend Miroslav Klose in all-time World Cup top scorer charts.
Only Messi (19 goals) currently has more World Cup goals to his name than Mbappe (18 goals), who has been in scintillating form since the tournament began last month.
Cherki Appears to Blank Deschamps
Rayan CherkiReuters/Caean Couto
With so many top players at his disposal, though, Deschamps has a battle on his hands to keep everyone happy - including several stars who haven’t had much playing time.
One of those star players is Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki, the mercurial playmaker who only came on for the final five minutes against Sweden.
Despite the fact the tie had effectively been wrapped up when Mbappe made it 3-0 in the 74th minute, Deschamps waited 11 more minutes before bringing on Cherki and Jean-Philippe Mateta for Michael Olise and Mbappe, respectively.
Post-match footage, recorded from the stands, appears to show Cherki blanking Deschamps as his manager approached him.Watch the clip below:
Why Cherki Might be Frustrated With His Manager
Rayan CherkiReuters/Caean Couto
Football fans on social media believe the footage is clear evidence that Cherki is frustrated with his lack of playing time at this summer’s showpiece tournament.
“Damn, Cherki hates Deschamps,” one fan wrote on X (Twitter). “I don’t even blame him, he’s treated him horribly.”
Cherki, 22, played the final 25 minutes in France’s 4-1 win over Norway. In the game before that, against Iraq, the former Lyon star came on in the 68th minute. And in the opening match against Senegal, Cherki replaced Desire Doue in the 87th minute.
World Cup 2026 Quiz
You scored
↩ Play again
The numbers don’t lie. It’s clear that Cherki is lower down Deschamps’ pecking order than France’s other attacking stars.
However, the Man City ace - who is one of six contenders to win the coveted Men’s Players’ Player of the Year award following an excellent debut campaign in the Premier League - couldn’t hide his frustration after the Sweden game and will be hoping for more minutes in the next game against Paraguay.