France coach Didier Deschamps: Now we must face the world's best team

  

France coach Didier Deschamps said his side must face "the best team not only in Europe, but the world" after beating Iceland 5-2 to set up a Euro 2016 semifinal against Germany.

Deschamps saw France go four up by the break as Olivier Giroud, Paul Pogba, Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann all struck.

Kolbeinn Sigthorsson made it 4-1, but Giroud scored again before Birkir Bjarnason got another back for Iceland.

Deschamps told reporters he was "delighted for the players" and said: "They deserve this, and it is also for these fans who have been behind us for months.

"To be able to offer them something to make them smile and feel happy -- I'm delighted about that."

France face 2014 World Cup winners Germany, who beat Italy on penalties in the quarterfinal  in Marseille on Thursday (9 p.m. CET/3 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Deschamps warned: "Germany have been the best team, even if they had a bit of a hard time on occasions against Italy.

"But we are there, in the final four, and we will give our all against the best team not only in Europe, but the world."

Deschamps said his players "did all we had to in the first half," while two-goal Giroud added: "We're used to making bad starts, but we began strongly and need to continue like that.

"We were on top from the very first minutes, and very clinical."