Brescia · Coupe de la Ligue · Midfielder · #0 · Mali · 28 yrs
France star Ousmane Dembele spoke about Lionel Messi ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. France have the task this summer of matching their performances from the last two editions of the FIFA World Cup and competing for the title once again. Ousmane Dembele is confident in his team’s chances, but he is not overlooking other contenders, including Lionel Messi’s Argentina. During an interview with Marca, Dembele was asked whether he believed Messi could win another World Cup. “Of course, he can win every trophy possible. I already saw it in Barcelona,” began the winger, who played alongside Leo for four seasons with the Spanish club between 2017 and 2021. The Paris Saint-Germain star then pushed back against those who believe Messi is no longer capable of competing at the highest level because of his age. “That changes nothing… He is the best I have ever seen, the best the game has ever seen. He is still dangerous,” said Ousmane. “It’s difficult to stop him even at 38 years old. He may be that age, but he will always have those qualities. We’ll have to be careful with him because he is capable of winning again,” added Dembele, who experienced Messi’s brilliance firsthand in the Qatar 2022 final, where Argentina defeated France on penalties after a 3-3 draw. Dembele and Messi playing for Barcelona in 2018. Dembele names his favorites to win the 2026 World Cup In the same interview, Ousmane Dembele was asked about France‘s chances of competing for the trophy once again. “We know that the French national team has reached the final in each of the last two editions. So we’ll be a team with high expectations,” began the winger. “But we remain focused on the objective. Before thinking about reaching the Round of 16 or the quarterfinals, you first have to get through the group-stage matches.” He then shared his thoughts on Spain, whom many consider the other major favorite. “They are an exceptional team collectively and have very good players… They have been playing this way for years and years, with players of the highest level,” said Ousmane. “In Spain, possession is something that comes naturally to them.” However, Dembele made it clear that the race for the title will not necessarily come down to those two teams. “There are many teams that are favorites in this competition… Spain, having just won the European Championship, are certainly one of the favorites. But there are also Argentina, the reigning world champions, Germany, Portugal and England. They are all great national teams,” explained the current Ballon d’Or winner. “That said, we’ll also have to be careful with the teams that are considered less likely to win.”
Of the dozens of players he has had the chance to play with since the start of his career, Ousmane Dembélé (29) is in no doubt: Lionel Messi (38) is without question the best of them all. That’s w...
Ousmane Dembele has come to the defence of Kylian Mbappe, insisting that the criticism aimed at the Real Madrid forward has gone far beyond what is fair.The former Barcelona winger, now one of Paris S...
Ousmane Dembele has reflected on one of the biggest decisions of his career, admitting that leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain was the right move despite his deep connection to the Catalan club...
Michael Olise's dazzling hat-trick for France in their final World Cup warm-up sends an ominous warning to rivals of Les Bleus, adding further firepower to a formidable attack that already includes the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Désiré Doué and the current Ballon d'Or holder, Ousmane Dembélé.
Didier Deschamps will call time on his France tenure after the World Cup, and Ousmane Dembele wants to give him a winning send off. The post Dembele: Deschamps’ looming exit will not affect France’s World Cup bid appeared first on SoccerNews.
Having taken an early lead in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain through Kai Havertz, Arsenal conceded an equalizer to Ousmane Dembele from the spot, and eventually suffered a cruel defeat in a penalty shootout. Midfielder Declan Rice said he and his teammates were “gutted” to lose such a game in that way. 💬 […] The post “It’s devastating to lose the Champions League final on penalties” – Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice (Video) appeared first on Soccer News.
