Dembélé sacrificed by Deschamps: Larqué accuses France of wasting his Ballon d'Or

Ousmane Dembélé touched only around thirty balls in 62 minutes during France’s 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland on Monday, four days after the defeat to Côte d’Ivoire. A quiet performance that reignites debate over the positioning of the Ballon d’Or winner within the French system.

For analyst Jean-Michel Larqué, responsibility is clear: Kylian Mbappé, deployed as a striker, drops deep into the centre too often and encroaches on Dembélé’s natural flank, relegating him to the periphery of play. “I would have liked to see Mbappé play for 45 minutes in his position,” he said. “We need to field a team with Olise on the right, Dembélé in the centre and Mbappé on the left. We will continue to sacrifice the Ballon d’Or. We are the only country not playing the Ballon d’Or in his position. I’m afraid we’re the most foolish.”

Didier Deschamps, meanwhile, downplayed his winger’s performance by citing physical management. “Ous arrived late. Ousmane needs to recover physically and psychologically after what he did with PSG. It was a training run today,” the manager explained after the match.

Dembélé himself does not share the concerns of his critics. “We will arrive ready in the United States and that’s what matters most,” he said. “I’m happy with the movement, we move a lot with the three up front. It doesn’t matter much whether I play on the right, in the centre or on the left. What’s important is that I feel good.”

While the tactical debate remains open, the evening largely belonged to Michael Olise, who scored a hat-trick — a rarity for a winger on international duty — and Désiré Doué, who also impressed. Mbappé, meanwhile, was also sloppy, standing out more for his wastefulness than his efficiency. France will have the chance to fine-tune their patterns before their opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Senegal.