France confirmed their place in the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Iraq in which Kylian Mbappe shined in attack once again.
The Real Madrid forward struck twice to take his tally to 16 World Cup goals, carrying the side on his back as he continues to find the back of the net.
Dembele, who has struggled so far this summer, failed to complete a single dribble or register a shot on target against Iraq as he failed to impress once more.
Deschamps has been quick to defend the Paris Saint-Germain star however, even as fans doubt his ability.
“Maybe now you (journalists) will get off his case now and find another target. There haven’t been any issues with him, he’s just adapting to a system he’s not used to playing in during the rest of the year. Once he’s in good form physically, it’s only a matter of making adjustments.
“He has my confidence and he knows it. He’s not the kind of player who doubts himself, but it’s important that he did what he did today because he’s a decisive player.
“He has that capacity, and if he hasn’t shown it until now it’s because he’s had some spells out. He’s been with the national team since 2018, but he was often coming off the bench. (His performance today) is good for him and, most of all, for the national team.”
Dembele had 67 touches, created three chances, made four passes in the final third and recovered the ball three times. He will be hoping for a better performance against Norway later this week.