Southgate and Deschamps have set this era’s zeitgeist for international soccer

Club soccer is different due to Pep Guardiola’s influence. The Catalan coach has changed the sport at the top level, as demonstrated by the number of teams that have sought to imitate Guardiola’s possession-heavy approach. In international soccer, though, there is a very different landscape at the elite level.

Possession football has been hard to find at Euro 2024. Instead, the tournament has been defined by conservative soccer, with England and France more guilty than most of grinding out results from game-to-game. Guardiola changed club soccer, but Didier Deschamps and Gareth Southgate have set the zeitgeist in the international game.

Deschamps and Southgate have guided their teams to the final four of Euro 2024 with a meeting between the two rivals in Sunday’s final on the cards. France won the 2018 World Cup under Deschamps and have played in three major tournament finals since 2016 – undoubtedly the strongest record in world soccer during that stretch, alongside Argentina. Meanwhile, England have made the semi-finals of three of the last four tournaments with Southgate in charge – a far cry from results in previous decades.

Between them, England and France boast some of the best attackers in world soccer right now. In fact, it could be strongly argued that the four best players at Euro 2024 are either English or French with Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe all elite level difference makers capable of brilliance.

At this tournament, though, all four stars have struggled to shine. Bellingham has scored twice, with his stoppage time overhead kick equaliser against Slovakia a true highlight reel moment, but the Real Madrid midfielder hasn’t been as influential for England as he would have liked. Foden, Kane and Mbappe have also played within themselves. 

Neither England nor France are set up to get the best out of their attacking players, though – and that is largely by design. Deschamps and Southgate both believe in prioritising the defensive structure of their team first and foremost and relying on that to get them through the knockout rounds. It’s an approach that has worked for both nations.

France haven’t scored a goal from open play at Euro 2024, but they haven’t conceded one either. The only goal Les Bleus have conceded came from the penalty spot in their final group game against Poland with France’s passage through to the last 16 all but assured before kick off. They are difficult to play through.

Similar can be said about England. They conceded just once in three group games and limited Slovakia and Switzerland to just one goal in 240 minutes of soccer, factoring in extra time. Southgate has been without some key defensive figures like Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw at Euro 2024, but The Three Lions have remained defensively resolute.

This hasn’t exactly made for the most exciting of spectacles. If England or France go on to win Euro 2024 using their brand of conservative soccer, the tournament will be remembered for being one of the dullest in recent memory. This, however, is not something for Deschamps or Southgate to be concerned about.

“If you’re getting bored, watch another game. You don’t have to watch – it’s fine,” said Deschamps ahead of France’s semi-final meeting with Spain. “It’s very difficult for everyone, with fewer goals. It hasn’t been the same as in the past, but we share the desire to make French men and women happy through the results we have been getting, especially in a period that has been hard for our country. But if the Swedish are getting bored, it doesn’t bother me much.”

Of course, the type of soccer favoured by Deschamps and Southgate isn’t anything new. Jose Mourinho’s style of play is similar and delivered success at the top of the club game for years. He won Champions League titles with Porto and Inter playing the same way that England and France are at Euro 2024.

However, while club soccer changed following the rise of managers like Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, the international game has fallen behind the tactical curve. This could be down to the lack of time international managers have with their players on the training pitch, but the success of Deschamps and Southgate is surely another factor. With England and France so successful, it’s natural that others want to imitate them.