Dembélé Excludes France from World Cup Favorites, Names Five Contenders

French star Ousmane Dembélé made bold statements coinciding with the official kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, warning of the ongoing threat posed by Argentine legend Lionel Messi. In a surprising twist, he excluded his own national team, France, from his list of top four contenders for the global title.

Dembélé’s comments came in an interview with the Spanish newspaper “Marca” just days before France’s opening match against Senegal on Tuesday, as part of Group Nine. The tournament began with Mexico defeating South Africa 2-0.

Dembélé Shifts Pressure Away from France, Selects Five Contenders

In a strategic move to alleviate media pressure on coach Didier Deschamps’ squad, the Paris Saint-Germain forward and 2018 champion sought to temper expectations for the “Les Bleus,” who are competing in their third World Cup. He asserted that other teams currently have better odds.

When asked about his predicted champion, Dembélé stated: “There are teams that are currently more favored than us, starting with Spain, Germany, Portugal, England, and of course Argentina.”.

“At 38 Years Old, Messi is Still a Threat!”

Regarding why he included the Argentine team among the elite contenders for a consecutive title win, Dembélé attributed it entirely to his former Barcelona teammate: “If Argentina is a contender, it’s because they have Lionel Messi. He is the greatest football player of all time.”.

Dembélé cautioned defenders in the tournament: “Even at 38 years old, Leo is still incredibly dangerous and hard to stop. We all need to be wary of him if we want to go far in this tournament.”.

Defending Mbappé: Spanish Media Criticism Unjust

Dembélé also took the opportunity to address the atmosphere within the runner-up camp from the 2022 World Cup. He fiercely defended his teammate and team captain Kylian Mbappé against the harsh criticism he has faced recently from Spanish media.

He described the Spanish criticism as “exaggerated and very harsh,” adding: “They have been unfair to Kylian; there is unjustified harshness in evaluating him. Mbappé is an amazing player and a great person off the field; I’ve known him for many years.”.

The French star concluded his remarks by saying: “Unfortunately, negative situations attack him just because his name is Kylian Mbappé. However, he remains a human being and a player of exceptional quality; he is here with us and handles himself excellently as a true leader for Les Bleus.”.