Dembélé and the Search for His Perfect Role

They are perhaps the two best players in the world right now. At Paris Saint-Germain, Ousmane Dembélé has matured into a Ballon d’Or winner and has (finally) led the French to two Champions League triumphs. But he really took off only after Kylian Mbappé’s move to Real Madrid. What does that mean for the national team?

Dembélé hasn’t dominated there yet. He didn’t play a major role in the 2018 World Cup title run, and in the final loss to Argentina four years ago, the 29-year-old gave away an early penalty and was substituted before halftime. Seven goals in 59 international appearances is a modest tally, even if Dembélé is by no means defined solely by his goals.

The “Bleus’” play is primarily centered on Mbappé, who also wears the prestigious number 10—Dembélé’s jersey number at PSG. As a result, Dembélé has often had to drift out wide. “At Paris, he gets complete freedom from the coach (Luis Enrique),” notes Lucas Hernandez, Dembélé’s teammate at PSG and on the national team. “It’s up to him to find the right solutions on the field to prove that he’s the best player in the world.” With the “Bleus,” he doesn’t have the same freedom of movement. “He’s still an extraordinary player, though.”

In the meantime, however, Deschamps seems to have found the right formula for his attacking quartet of incredible quality. Dembélé in his preferred central position behind Mbappé, with the dynamic young stars Michael Olise and Désiré Doué on the right and left. Behind them, the experienced Aurélien Tchouaméni of Real Madrid and Adrien Rabiot of AC Milan are tasked with providing defensive stability.

Goalie Mike Maignan and the central defense pairing of Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba are undisputed. The biggest question marks for one of the hottest title contenders are the fullbacks. Deschamps is likely to rely on the experience of Jules Koundé (right) and Théo Hernandez (left). Nevertheless, in a squad that has no room for top offensive players like Rayan Cherki or Bradley Barcola, they could be the weak link.

They will face their first real test at this World Cup on Tuesday (8:00 p.m. Swiss time in East Rutherford, near New York) against Senegal. The group stage, with Iraq and Norway as the other opponents, is unlikely to pose a major obstacle. However, winning the group would be valuable.