French coach Didier Deschamps has made it clear that France isn’t taking any part in the refereeing controversies surrounding the 2026 World Cup. Ahead of the French team’s quarterfinal game against Mexico, the coach disregarded officiating concerns while seemingly taking shots at Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan, following the latter’s protest after their Round of 16 loss to Argentina.

Here’s the thing: During a press conference, Deschamps was asked about recent officiating controversies, including the Argentina-Egypt fallout, as well as France’s own frustration against Paraguay. Instead of criticizing FIFA, the French coach backed the officials, even singling out Francois Letexier, who officiated the game between Argentina and Egypt.

“I hope Mr. Tello and his assistants, who will be officiating tomorrow, are as good as Mr. Letexier and his assistants were in the other match,” he told reporters. “For me, the opponent is Morocco. I am not going to view the referee as an opponent. Quite the opposite: he is there to ensure the laws of the game are applied as fairly as possible.”

Deschamps’ comments were in contrast to Hassan’s reaction following Egypt’s blown two-goal lead in a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Argentina. In fact, the Egyptian Football Association submitted a formal complaint to FIFA, questioning various VAR and officiating decisions, including a disallowed goal that would have extended Egypt’s lead to 3-0 and a late penalty appeal that was waved before Argentina took the lead in stoppage time.

Didier Deschamps’ remarks also refer to the fact that his team’s next game, the quarterfinal against Morocco, will be officiated by an all-Argentinian crew led by Facundo Tello, a first for the World Cup.

The decision has fueled a lot of backlash online, especially with Argentina, the team that beat France in the 2022 World Cup, still alive in the tournament. Deschamps, however, refused to entertain those concerns and insisted that his team needs to focus on the opponent at hand.

His approach here mirrors how the French team handled its own officiating dispute earlier in the tournament. Against Paraguay, Michael Olise earned a yellow card, which was upheld despite an appeal. Instead of publicly criticizing FIFA, Deschamps simply accepted the governing body’s decision.

For now, all that remains for the French team is to secure a semifinal appearance by beating Morocco. And with Deschamps’ latest statement, it’s clear that their focus remains fixed on the field, not the whistle.