Ousmane Dembele’s comments in the dressing room after Les Bleus lost 2-0 to Spain in Tuesday’s semi-final, ending France’s hopes of winning the World Cup, have been revealed.
Ousmane Dembele was not satisfied with France’s performance (Image: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Ousmane Dembele’s comments at half-time during their World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain have reportedly left the French squad furious. Didier Deschamps’ team lost 2-0 to Dallas on Tuesday, missing out on a third consecutive World Cup final despite being favorites to win.
France stayed behind with Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty kick in the 22nd minute and took everything into the second half. Many expected a reply, but it never came.
Les Bleus conceded again before time expired, falling into a limp defeat. The row continues, with Dembele, 29, said to have criticized his team-mates for their poor pressing.
L’Equipe reported that some of his teammates were irritated by the Paris Saint-Germain star’s comments and felt he was trying to shirk responsibility. However, judging by his post-match comments, captain Kylian Mbappé agreed with Dembele.
Get the latest 2026 World Cup news in your inbox with our Make Football Great Again newsletter
“Right from the start, we were pressing 3-on-2, and that’s where we failed,” Mbappé confessed. “Against Spain we have to press one-on-one and when we win the ball.
“Our touch and movement on the ball was not worthy of a World Cup semi-final. To be honest, we didn’t have what it took to get to a World Cup final.”
Deschamps, who will step down after Saturday’s third-place match against England, was also not satisfied with the way his players executed his tactics. “We were a little below the standard and our attacking danger was lower than I expected,” lamented the French coach.
Who will win in the third place match, England or France? Let us know your prediction in the comments section.
Some French players were outraged by Ousmane Dembele’s comments (Image: Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
“There were some technical mistakes and passing errors that could have led to situations and chances. We have to accept that. Even if it is painful, this is at the highest level.”
“This was the last step towards a possible final… That’s why we play the third place match. We play. That doesn’t take anything away from what we achieved. But in this game Spain showed something special.”
Former France captain Zinedine Zidane is expected to be named as Deschamps’ successor, who has been out of the job since leaving Real Madrid in 2021. His first match will be in the Nations League, where he will be drawn in a group that includes Türkiye, Belgium and Italy.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with Sky Glass ‘designed for soccer’
From £6
sky
Get the deal here
Shoppers can now upgrade to a Sky smart TV ‘designed for football’ from £6 a month when used with a Sky TV and Netflix package.
