Kylian Mbappe has claimed that Ousmane Dembele will perform better after a poor outing in France’s opening game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This comes after Dembele struggled to impress in attack in Les Bleus’ 3-1 win over Senegal on June 16.
Ahead of their clash against Iraq, Mbappe was questioned about the display of one of his attacking partners in a press conference. He claimed that Dembele was the best attacker in the first half and insisted that the Paris Saint-Germain forward remains an important player for France.
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He said (via Madrid Zone on X):
“Dembele not shining? I don’t know about that, I watched the game again, and in the 1st half, I think Dembele was the BEST offensive player on the pitch. Then, in the 2nd half, Olise and me, we were decisive, but Ousmane was important too. He’s very calm, he’s the Ballon d’Or, we all trust him. We can’t forget that he’s been injured at the end of the season. He’ll get better and better.”
Dembele, who failed to register a shot on target in 80 minutes, had an outing he will want to forget in a hurry against Senegal. He also failed to deliver any key pass, lost possession of the ball 10 times and registered only 40 touches before Bradley Barcola replaced him.
However, the Ballon d’Or winner will be eager to improve in the game between France and Iraq. The encounter will be played at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Monday, June 22.
How has Kylian Mbappe performed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup for France?
As the leader and captain, Kylian Mbappe has led by example at the ongoing FIFA World Cup tournament. He scored two remarkable goals that secured all three points for France in their opening Group I match against Senegal.
The Real Madrid forward was likewise the man of the match in the encounter and will be looking to remain consistient in the tournament. Meanwhile, France will be eager to defeat Iraq and secure their spot in the last 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Les Bleus will be looking to ease the pressure by defeating Iraq and fielding a weaker starting XI in their final Group I clash against Norway. This will help the key players gain some rest ahead of the highly engaging knockout round.
Edited by Abel Yisa
