Ousmane Dembélé criticised France’s pressing in World Cup semi-final half-time address | OneFootball

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Ousmane Dembélé criticised France’s pressing in World Cup semi-final half-time address | OneFootball

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·17 July 2026

Ousmane Dembélé criticised France’s pressing in World Cup semi-final half-time address

Article image:Ousmane Dembélé criticised France’s pressing in World Cup semi-final half-time address

Ousmane Dembélé addressed the France dressing room at half-time of Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final against Spain, criticising the team’s pressing, according to L'Équipe.

The PSG forward, the Ballon d'Or 2025, argued the press lacked coordination. His intervention irritated some team-mates, who felt he tends to flare up when he is struggling rather than in other situations.

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Spain took the lead in the 22nd minute when Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty, and they were ahead at the interval.

France could not turn it around after the break, and Pedro Porro added a second on 58 minutes to secure a 2-0 win for Spain.

France will play the third-place match on Saturday at 23:00 against England. Spain face Argentina in Sunday’s final at 21:00.

Source: L'Équipe

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