Will Ousmane Dembele play tonight for France vs Northern Ireland in pre-World Cup friendly?

Ousmane Dembele will aim to replicate the PSG success with France.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just about to commence in three days, and teams are preparing for their best performances. One of the top title contenders, France, suffered a disappointing loss to the Ivory Coast in their first warm-up game.

However, they will focus on recording a victory over Northern Ireland and go into the World Cup confidently. Didier Deschamps’ side has also received good news, as Arsenal defender William Saliba’s fitness concern has been dismissed. However, fans are keen on knowing if Ousmane Dembele will feature against Northern Ireland.

Also Read: Preview: France vs Northern Ireland prediction, odds, where to watch, time

Will Ousmane Dembele start vs Northern Ireland?

Ousmane Dembele did not feature during France’s 2-1 loss to the Ivory Coast in their last warm-up fixture, as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) players were granted more time for recovery following their Champions League campaign, where they defeated Arsenal to win their second consecutive European accolade.

Nevertheless, Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps has revealed that the PSG star is certainly in line to start the friendly fixture against Northern Ireland. He also gave information about another PSG attacker, Desire Doue, who is yet to play after the UCL final.

“Yes, like other players. Ousmane is one of the players, like Desire (Doue), who didn’t play after the final. I felt it was important for him to recover.”

While he’s expected to start for the two-time World Champions, Deschamps might also chose to give him minutes in the second half, utilising all his attacking options.

Dembele enjoyed a decent season with Luis Enrique’s PSG in the 2025-26 campaign, scoring 20 goals and providing 11 assists in 40 appearances across competitions. However, he also missed more than 15 matches due to injuries and illnesses.

Walking into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 29-year-old might look forward to replicating the success he has achieved in the last couple of years with PSG.

France’s 2026 FIFA World Cup group

France’s World Cup campaign will commence on Tuesday, June 16, as they will face Senegal at the New York-New Jersey Stadium. Later, they will face Iraq on June 22 before playing their final group-stage game against Norway on June 26.

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