Kylian Mbappe: Ousmane Dembele 'Essential' for France Despite Goalless Opener

"He'll get better and better" - Kylian Mbappe backs France teammate to shine after poor start to FIFA World Cup

Kylian Mbappe has claimed that Ousmane Dembele will perform better after a poor outing in France's opening game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Kylian Mbappe: Ousmane Dembele 'essential' for France despite goalless opener

PHILADELPHIA -- After Kylian Mbappe re-watched France's 3-1 win over Senegal to open their World Cup, the 27-year-old rejected the idea that teammate Ousmane Dembele had a poor match.

France captain Kylian Mbappé defends Ousmane Dembélé: "He's a very important player for us." - Get French Football News

For this first time at this year’s World Cup, it was Kylian Mbappé who faced the press in France’s pre-match media duties as the team geared up for their second group stage match against Iraq. The captain, who kicked off his summer campaign with a double against Senegal last week, mainly answered questions about the rotating frontline he now leads. While he is now France’s established number nine, Mbappé insisted that he would be comfortable pla…