Dembélé irritated yet on a mission after Norway treble at 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

Ousmane Dembélé hit a hat-trick in France’s 4-1 win over Norway, then cut an irritable figure in front of the media, mixing humour with defiance as he framed the debate around his form at this World Cup.

According to L'Équipe, he used irony to say he had preferred his displays against Senegal and Northern Ireland. He was not serious and had not been satisfied until the 3-1 victory over Iraq on 22 June, when he scored his first major tournament goal for France.

This season he has been labelled a one-year Ballon d'Or, inefficient and physically unreliable, and even saw his starting place questioned. Didier Deschamps did not waver, and Dembélé answered on the pitch, from shushing celebrations with Paris Saint-Germain to another hush gesture on Friday.

Those gestures are not fuelled by rancour, more a game with the outside world and a reminder of what he can do. Inside the camp he remains cheerful, though he has become more guarded in public. Assistant coach Guy Stéphan said he is human, feels criticism, has had injuries but returns, and keeps asking to play rather than rest.

Dembélé kept repeating that focus matters, that big challenges are coming, and that the team comes first. After helping PSG to a second Champions League in 2024-25 and collecting the 2025 Ballon d'Or, he says he is still not satisfied and is on a mission. Staff briefings urged him to hold his width, which he did against Norway, and team-mates hope he is now up and running as he chases a second World Cup title with greater influence.

Source: L'Équipe