France Loses Star Player Dembélé Ahead of World Cup Qualifiers

As France continues their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign during the October international break, they will have to cope without their star player Ousmane Dembélé. The Ballon d'Or winner will miss the crucial qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Iceland due to a hamstring injury sustained while representing his country in September.

Dembélé featured in France's 2-0 win over Ukraine last month, but was substituted in the 81st minute. His club, Paris Saint-Germain, was left furious with the French Football Federation, criticizing their conduct in regards to the injuries suffered by Dembélé and his teammate Désiré Doué. PSG claimed they had provided the Federation with concrete medical information on the players' workload and risk of injury, but these recommendations were not taken into account.

The 28-year-old forward is still recovering from the injury and has missed six matches for the European champions since. However, Dembélé could make his comeback for PSG after the October internationals, with the club likely to be cautious with his re-integration. The French champions have a hectic schedule in the coming weeks, and Dembélé's exact return date remains uncertain.