France's Dembélé Says Team Among World Cup Favorites

France striker Ousmane Dembélé told Marca that his national side is one of the favourites for the World Cup, noting the team reached the last two finals and faces high expectations. He praised Spain as a strong opponent, saying “Abbiamo avuto molte difficoltà contro questa squadra. È una nazionale eccezionale… sarà sicuramente una delle squadre da tenere maggiormente in considerazione”. Dembélé also spoke about coach Didier Deschamps, calling him “un allenatore straordinario” with a record that includes a World Cup and Nations League title. He added that former player Zinedine Zidane would be “the greatest, a true icon of French football” and could be a superb future coach for the national team. The player emphasized that the squad must stay focused despite the high level of competition.