Ousmane Dembélé: Why the Ballon d’Or Winner is Struggling for France Under Zidane

France national team manager Zinédine Zidane defended forward Ousmane Dembélé following a match against Italy in the UEFA Nations League at the Stade France, despite mounting questions over the Paris Saint-Germain star’s production on the international stage. Dembélé, who won the Ballon d’Or last year, captained Les Bleus for the first time in an official fixture on October 2, 2026, but struggled to make an impact in an advanced central role.

Zidane Defends Dembélé Despite Quiet Display Against Italy

Playing without the injured Kylian Mbappé, Les Bleus hosted Italy at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis for the third matchday of the UEFA Nations League group stage. Zidane handed the captain’s armband to Dembélé, deploying the PSG attacker in a central position — a tactical shift designed to replicate the freedom Luis Enrique affords him at club level. Yet, the output fell short of expectations. Dembélé registered six total shots with two on target, but touched the ball just five times inside the Italian penalty area. One of those touches included a botched control from a pass by Rayan Cherki, and another ended in a saved duel against former teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Despite the lack of a decisive breakthrough, Zidane offered full backing to his captain during the post-match press conference. “I found Ousmane good,” Zidane told reporters. “He does Ousmane. He moves a lot, he leaves his position and does it very well. I appreciate what he does with us and I don’t have much to reproach him for. He didn’t score, but he got chances.” The manager emphasized that he evaluates performances beyond raw goal tallies, praising Dembélé’s high work rate and defensive pressing.

Contrasting Club Brilliance With International Drought

The debate surrounding Dembélé’s utility for France highlights a persistent discrepancy between his club form and international record. While he dominates defenses in the UEFA Champions League for Paris Saint-Germain, his numbers with Les Bleus remain modest relative to his status. Across 70 international caps, Dembélé has contributed 19 goal involvements (goals and assists combined). By comparison, Michael Olise reached the exact same milestone of 19 goal contributions in just 28 appearances for France.

Statistics from the encounter against Italy showed his peripheral influence in the box. Adrien Rabiot managed twice as many touches inside the Italian penalty area as Dembélé did over the course of the 90 minutes.

Dembélé Dismisses Reports of Friction with Mbappé

Beyond tactical fits, Dembélé’s international window coincided with off-field scrutiny regarding his relationship with Kylian Mbappé. L’Équipe reported on lingering friction following comments made by Mbappé in September regarding individual accolades and the race for the Ballon d’Or. While Mbappé publicly insisted that no tensions existed between them, reports indicated that recent remarks left a mark within the squad.

Addressing reporters prior to the Italy fixture, Dembélé dismissed the rumors as social media noise. “No, nothing. As I said, all these stories, I’m not going to comment,” Dembélé stated. “The little wars on social networks… At 29 years old, I really don’t have my head for that. Yes, we exchanged, we are sitting next to each other at the table, there is no problem.” Nevertheless, the French press noted a distinct shift in squad dynamics during the Clairefontaine gathering.

Next Fixtures In The UEFA Nations League

France returns to action in the UEFA Nations League group stage with an upcoming fixture against Belgium. With Dembélé approaching a milestone of 72 international appearances — which would place him ahead of Michel Platini in all-time French caps — Zidane and his coaching staff face a tight turnaround to unlock the Ballon d’Or winner’s full potential before the next qualifying hurdles.