Dembele's half-time outburst split France dressing room
.jpeg)
Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 16.07.26. | 23:00
L'Equipe claims the Ballon d'Or winner clashed with teammates as Les Bleus trailed Spain, and the confrontation only made matters worse
The warning signs were there before France had even kicked a ball at the World Cup.
During one of Les Bleus' training sessions, Ousmane Dembele reportedly confronted captain Kylian Mbappe over what he saw as a lack of defensive commitment. The criticism was direct and personal.
Days later, according to L'Equipe, the Ballon d'Or winner turned his attention to almost the entire squad.
France trailed Spain 1-0 at half-time after Mikel Oyarzabal's opener, and the dressing room was anything but calm. Dembele took centre stage, voicing his frustration over the team's pressing and defensive organisation.
He believed France were reacting poorly whenever Spain tried to press them, insisting the collective movement was badly coordinated and that too many players were failing to do their jobs.
His teammates were not impressed.
France struggled throughout the semi-final, with several of their biggest stars falling well below their usual standards. Mbappe showed flashes of danger, but both Michael Olise and Dembele repeatedly surrendered possession, allowing Spain to stay in complete control.
Instead of accepting responsibility for his own performance, some players felt Dembele was pointing fingers elsewhere.
According to L'Equipe, several members of the squad believe the Paris Saint-Germain winger only becomes vocal when things are going badly for him personally, using criticism of others to deflect attention from his own display. Rather than inspiring a comeback, the heated half-time exchange had the opposite effect.
Moments after the restart, France conceded again.
Spain sliced through Les Bleus with ease as Dani Olmo and Pedro Porro combined brilliantly in a tight space before the full-back calmly beat Mike Maignan to double La Roja's advantage.
From that point on, Didier Deschamps' side never looked capable of turning the tie around.
The problems began on the pitch, but the report suggests they were only magnified behind closed doors. By the time the players emerged for the second half, any hope of a French comeback may already have disappeared.
WORLD CUP - KNOCKOUT STAGE
Sunday
Third-place match
00.00: (2.00) France (3.75) England (3.60)
Final
22.00: (2.35) Spain (3.00) Argentina (3.60)
***odds are subject to change***