Ousmane Dembélé, 25, and Lionel Messi, 35, rivals this Sunday (18) in the World Cup final, were teammates for four years.
In 2017, when the Frenchman was signed by Barcelona, the Argentine was one of the first to endorse the then 20-year-old’s integration into the squad.
At the time, the former captain of the Spanish team even told coach Ernesto Valverde that the team would have to change its style. “We have to find a way to play that exploits this guy’s potential.”
The stakes surrounding his name were high, as were the figures invested in his hiring.
Less than a month after pocketing 222 million euros (R$ 812 million at the time) with the sale of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain, the Catalan club paid 105 million euros (R$ 392 million at the time) to remove Dembélé from Borussia Dortmund.
The deal also provided for an additional 40 million euros (R$ 149.5 million) in variable bonuses.
The idea was clear. Make him the substitute for the Brazilian. But that was far from happening. With many physical problems and often relegated to the bench by the managers he worked with, he never came close to filling the gap for Neymar.
In the five seasons prior to the current one, he made an average of 30 games and scored a total of 33 goals, an average of 6.6 per season. Neymar scored 105 goals in four seasons with the Catalans.
For a long time, the signing of the Frenchman was the subject of much criticism in the Spanish press. He was even removed from the team and saw his name made available to the market. But he resisted.
The tone of criticism against him only started to change this year, when he finally began to show the potential that Messi not only pointed out but helped to hone.
“Leo is a very calm person, and he helps young people a lot. I arrived in Barcelona when I was 20 and [Messi] every day he gave me some tips to calm down, wait for the right time to dribble and make the pass”, said Dembélé this Friday (16).
He is proud of the times he played alongside the number 10. “He is an exceptional player, who, like Iniesta, made me love Barça. I am very happy to have played with him by my side”, he added.
It was only when the Argentine left Catalonia, in 2021, also heading to Paris Saint-Germain, that he was finally able to put into practice what he learned from the Argentine.
A member of Xavi’s team, he accumulates five goals and seven assists in 20 games played by the team in 2022. With regularity on the field and good performances, he changed his status even in the French national team.
He was part of the group that won the world title in Russia in 2018, played in four matches, but started in just two, against Australia and Denmark, in the group stage.
In the semifinals, against Belgium, and in the final, with Croatia, he watched the matches sitting on the bench. Throughout the tournament, he didn’t score a single goal, didn’t give any assists, or had outstanding performances. Very different from now.
In Qatar, he left Bayern Munich’s Kinglsey Coman on the bench to start every game. The exception was the clash against Tunisia, in the last round of the group stage, when coach Didier Deschamps decided to spare his starters. It was also the team’s only defeat, by 1-0.
In the other clashes, despite not having scored goals, Dembélé has been an important part of the team, with his speed and quick plays on the right. In addition to generating offensive volume, he has already provided two assists for goals by Kylian Mbappé.
Ambidextrous and very strong in one-on-one play, he will be a key weapon in helping the French team overwhelm Argentina’s defensive system in the final.
If he manages to help his teammates, he will reach the age of 25 and win his second World Cup. It will be a feat for a player who, for many years, has had to deal with a lot of criticism.
It will also be curious to see him prevent Messi —whom he greatly admires— from reaching the only cup left in the career of the number 10.
For those who took a long time to become the “new Neymar”, he can be proud of having in his gallery something that neither the Brazilian in three World Cups (2014, 2018 and 2022), nor the Argentine star in five (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022) would have.
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