Former France captain, Hugo Lloris, has disclosed the specific instructions given to midfielder N’Golo Kante by head coach Didier Deschamps to stop Lionel Messi during the 2018 World Cup.
The Argentine star faced challenges in the group stage of the tournament, managing to score only one goal against Nigeria.
La Albiceleste also had difficulties advancing to the knockout stage, narrowly qualifying as group runners-up with one victory, one draw, and one defeat.
In contrast, France progressed smoothly into the knockout phase with two wins and a draw.
The two teams were set to meet in the Round of 16, and much of the pre-match discussion focused on how France would contain Messi, who was still considered the primary threat despite his lackluster performance up to that moment.
The responsibility of neutralizing the 2014 Golden Ball winner was placed on Kante, who was widely acknowledged as one of the top defensive midfielders in the sport at that time.
Lloris has now shared the specific instructions that Deschamps conveyed to his ever-smiling teammate.
During an appearance on the Rio Meets podcast, hosted by former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, the 39-year-old goalkeeper stated, “There was a specific instruction from Didier Deschamps to N’Golo Kante.
“He always had to stay in the perimeter of Lionel Messi. Kante had to try and affect Messi’s game. It’s really hard but N’Golo at that time, he could run a lot and (he was) a complete team player.
“So he dealt (with the challenge) really well. We managed to defend well. But then again, if you give Messi a little space, he will find the pass or the way to dribble. It’s too hard to play against him.”
France won the game 4-3 and went on to lift the 2018 title, beating Croatia 4-2 in the final.
While Lloris has retired from international duty, Kante is still a part of the French squad that has reached the semi-finals of the 2026 .
