Why Désiré Doué often excels in the biggest matches | OneFootball

Six months after his sparkling Champions League final, Désiré Doué returns to the kind of high‑stakes stage he relishes. The question remains why the 20‑year‑old so often delivers when pressure rises, with another test due on Wednesday. He rarely misfires, though he was ordinary against Chelsea in the Club World Cup final.

According to L'Équipe, France internationals discussed him at Clairefontaine last summer after his brace in PSG’s 5-0 final win secured the club’s first Champions League title, even comparing his obsession with victory to Kylian Mbappé.

His autumn then brought the first two serious muscle injuries of his career. He has come back with 28 minutes against Bilbao, then 45 at Metz finished with a goal, looking unchanged.

Raised in Le Rheu within a sporting family, he honed competitiveness in intense indoor sessions with his brother Guéla. Julien Stéphan, now Queens Park Rangers head coach, recalls him starring at San Siro against Milan in February 2024 soon after breaking into the XI, citing self‑belief, positive excitement and notable emotional stability.

Those close to him say performances flow from a simple joy in playing. He feels pressure, yet excitement overrides inhibition and helps him embrace finals.

France Under-21s coach Gérald Baticle describes a pure approach, focused on a clear path and an obsession with the game. He rejects suggestions Doué chooses matches, pointing to last season’s Coupe de France showings, and adds that bigger stages heighten excitement while pleasure stays his guiding force.

Source: L'Équipe