Mbappe defends Dembélé, who is under fire from criticism

 Didier Deschamps knows the unprecedented luxury of having someone to choose from in the French offensive. The star-studded team is full of quality, but there has been a player recently in the media who has become the target of criticism - Ousmane Dembélé. The Ballon d'Or winner has yet to live up to expectations, but he has the support of teammate Kylian Mbappé. The French national team rarely features an offense as strong as this one at the World Cup. Apart from Mbappé, it includes, among others: Dembélé, Marcus Thuram, Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise. Henry wouldn't have a place in that lineup Even Thierry Henry wouldn't have a place in such a squad, as he suggested in an interview with Fox Sports. In Paris Saint-Germain, all the spotlights are on Dembélé, no wonder, because it was he who helped the Parisians defend the Champions League trophy last season. However, Dembélé has not been in great form for the national team until the friendly match against Iraq, in which he scored a goal and provided an assist. “The whole team wanted him to score,” praised his teammate Mbappé. "He is a key player for us. He is a unique and very special player who has been playing for our national team for many years." Dembélé scored his first goal in the history of appearances at major tournaments, as he had not yet scored in events such as the World Cup or Euro. "For him, it doesn't matter that he hasn't scored in such tournaments before. He knows how the national team works, he is its winner. I think he will get better and better and will be an even more decisive player for us," Mbappé added. The French national team leads group I of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with 12 points. Next Friday, France will play away against Norway. --- ## Related Articles 1. [World Cup 2026](https://banthangvn.com/vi/news/hokins-tiet-lo-chi-tiet-cuoc-tro-chuyen-cua-deschamps-voi-cau-thu-oi-tuyen-phap-sau-khi-hlv-mat-me) 2. [Ist dies die beste Weltmeisterschaft aller Zeiten? Die Anzeichen sprechen dafür!](https://mannschaftgoal.com/de/news/ist-dies-die-beste-weltmeisterschaft-aller-zeiten-die-anzeichen-sprechen-dafur)