Dembélé dropped after poor display: 2018 scenario repeats itself

Ousmane Dembélé has been dropped from France’s starting lineup following his insufficient performance against Senegal, a scenario that mirrors exactly what the player experienced at the 2018 World Cup.

That night in Russia, Les Bleus had delivered a laborious first hour against Australia, owing their salvation only to an own goal by Aziz Behich ten minutes from the end. Didier Deschamps’ reaction was immediate: a dressing-down during video analysis, followed by tactical adjustments in the second match against Peru. The initial 4-3-3, with Dembélé and Griezmann flanking Mbappé, gave way to a 4-2-3-1.

In this new setup, Blaise Matuidi — a substitute against Australia — inherited the left flank, Griezmann repositioned as support for the centre-forward and Mbappé shifted to the left wing. Olivier Giroud reclaimed a starting place at the tip of the attack. Dembélé, meanwhile, gradually disappeared from the lineup.

The winger came on only in the final quarter of an hour against Peru, before briefly regaining a starting place in the meaningless match against Denmark. He then played just two minutes in the quarter-final against Uruguay, remaining on the bench against Argentina in the last 16, Belgium in the semi-finals and Croatia in the final.

Months after winning the World Cup, Deschamps publicly challenged his player: “It’s up to him to become aware of all the demands of top-level football. I don’t think he’s fully aware of them. But he’s a young player with many qualities. He’s still a young player who needs to gain maturity on and off the pitch. Everything has happened very quickly for him.”

Seven years later, the current situation presents troubling similarities: a disappointing start, swift sidelining, and the same question about Dembélé’s ability to meet the demands of the highest level in international competition.