Dembélé is said to have annoyed France team-mates at half-time v Spain

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·17 July 2026

Dembélé is said to have annoyed France team-mates at half-time v Spain

France’s defeat to Spain on Tuesday in the 2026 World Cup semi-final (2-0) has left marks and raised doubts. It is time for the negative side of things, with even a few rumors. Thus, L’Equipe looked back on that evening and claims that Ousmane Dembélé, the 29-year-old Paris Saint-Germain and Bleus forward, created tension by speaking up at half-time.

“In an attempt to spark a reaction, Ousmane Dembélé spoke in the dressing room on Tuesday evening, at half-time of the World Cup semi-final between France and Spain (0-2). The 2025 Ballon d’Or spoke about the way the French team was pressing, explaining that he found the pressing poorly coordinated. His remarks irritated some of his teammates, who felt that Dembélé got upset when he himself was struggling and not in other situations.”

Be careful, though: these corridor rumors right after a very disappointing defeat should be treated with caution. There are always various reports about tensions and problems that supposedly surrounded the loss, and we have already seen denials on many occasions. One of the issues is that everything can be distorted or exaggerated, with comments from people more or less close to the group and possibly in a bad mood.

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It is entirely believable that Dembélé spoke out, as he is one of the senior figures. His words may also have displeased some players; that is part of life in a group. But precisely for that reason, it may simply be nothing special. The little jab written by the sports daily may come from nothing specific, perhaps not even from a player.

It is essential to stay calm and keep some perspective after a painful elimination; we have some experience with PSG’s Champions League runs before the last two seasons. And we have seen it with other clubs and national teams as well.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.