Guy Stéphan hails Dembélé's clinical display as France eye group lead

Assistant coach Guy Stéphan praised Ousmane Dembélé’s clinical hat‑trick as France secured a 4‑1 win over Norway’s second‑choice side in Group I. The match in Boston Stadium saw the French side confirm top spot while Deschamps prepared to return for training in the United States. Stéphan confirmed that Didier Deschamps would be back with Les Bleus in the USA on Saturday to take charge of training. “I will call him later,” the 69‑year‑old assistant added. He described Dembélé’s performance as “clinical,” noting the Paris Saint‑Germain forward was unfazed by earlier tournament criticism. The hat‑trick underlined Dembélé’s impact despite the media scrutiny.

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Stéphan rejected Dembélé is undervalued relative to Kylian Mbappé, stating that top‑quality players can coexist. “For me, it’s not a question of there being a star player or not,” he explained. He observed that more than half of the squad had never featured in a World Cup, highlighting the youth of the group. “We’ll have to see as the competition goes on, and whether we raise our level against the very strong teams, which will happen very soon,” he said. He added that balance between attack and defence is essential to become stronger.

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The comments were delivered by Raphaël Jucobin, who reported from Boston Stadium. His report captures the optimism surrounding France’s group‑lead position.