Dembélé slips back into bad habits against Paraguay, Ménès sounds alarm

Ousmane Dembélé delivered one of his worst performances in a France shirt during the Blues’ 0-1 victory over Paraguay in the early hours of Sunday morning, to the point of being the only sour note in a team judged globally satisfactory.

Journalist Pierre Ménès gave the Paris Saint-Germain player just 3/10. “It’s the big disappointment of the evening. He was useless from start to finish,” he said on his YouTube channel. “He didn’t complete a single dribble or shot. It’s a worrying step backwards for the Parisian. These things happen, but we expect more from a player of his calibre.”

This poor performance fits a pattern already observed during this 2026 World Cup. The France number 7 had been heavily criticized after his first two group matches, against Senegal and Iraq. He seemed to rediscover his best form on 26 June with a hat-trick against Norway, before slipping back into his old ways.

This chronic inconsistency with the national team contrasts with the consistency he has shown at PSG, and raises questions ahead of the quarter-final against Morocco on Thursday. It should not, however, be enough to cost him his starting place.