France's victory over Senegal in their 2026 World Cup opener left mixed feelings. While Kylian Mbappé shone with a brace, Ousmane Dembélé once again fell short for the French national team and faced harsh criticism from former players and analysts.

The Paris Saint-Germain attacker, reigning European champion and recent Ballon d'Or winner, failed to reproduce the level shown throughout the season with his club for the national team. His performance against Senegal was underwhelming, reigniting doubts over his ability to become a decisive figure in the France jersey.

The criticism didn’t take long to surface. One of the most vocal was Eric Di Meco, the former French international and legendary Olympique de Marseille figure, who expressed his concern on RMC. "There is a real problem with Dembélé in the French national team. His performances are mediocre, and he doesn't have a single truly significant match," he noted.

Di Meco also highlighted that the French national team's structure revolves around Mbappé, something that limits Dembélé's prominence. "He will never have a team built around him like he does at PSG. For France, there is Mbappé, and the sporting project is built around him," he explained.

Despite the opening victory, the debate surrounding Dembélé's role remains wide open. France aims to conquer the world title and will need all its stars performing at the highest level. The next fixture for Didier Deschamps' men will present another opportunity for the winger to answer his critics and prove he can be just as decisive for his national team as he is in club football.

Watch beIN SPORTS Xtra live and for free on YouTube