Ousmane Dembélé seeks to answer France doubts

Ousmane Dembélé must turn a run of limited end product into a response for France, despite occupying the same central attacking role that has suited him at Paris Saint-Germain. The 29-year-old PSG forward is being used as a centre-forward for the national team, with a similar freedom to move across the attack.

Dembélé has not produced a decisive contribution in France’s first three matches of this sequence. He started the 1-0 defeat by Turkey and the 1-1 draw with Italy before appearing as a substitute in the 1-0 loss to Belgium. The lack of an attacking return stands out after his six goals at the World Cup and has kept the spotlight on his finishing.

Zinédine Zidane has defended Dembélé’s performances, judging him positively across the three games. The France coach values the forward’s movement, including his tendency to leave his nominal position, and believes he has created opportunities even without scoring. Dembélé was not fully satisfied with his display against Italy, but the situation has not unsettled him. Having faced criticism at Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and with France, he remains confident he can change the narrative.