Problems for the French national team. PSG's main star feels exhausted just 11 days before the World Cup
The triumphant Champions League final in Budapest, where PSG claimed Europe's most prestigious club trophy for the second year running, left a bitter aftertaste for the French national team's coaching staff.
Details: Paris' main protagonist and top Ballon d'Or contender Ousmane Dembélé netted a crucial goal against Arsenal, but has since gone on high alert due to his physical condition.
Dembélé was once again the key to Luis Enrique's side's triumph—his precise strike saved PSG and kept them alive until the decisive penalty shootout. However, the Frenchman had to watch the dramatic finale from the bench: Dembélé couldn't play a single minute in extra time due to severe cramps and muscle exhaustion. In fact, the winger admitted he was virtually playing the end of regular time "on one leg."
"Toward the end, I started getting terrible cramps. It lasted from the 80th minute until the final whistle. The match was unbelievably intense. I think it was tough for all of us—many were cramping up in the closing stages," Dembélé told Canal+ France.
It's worth noting that France's group stage opponents at the World Cup will be Senegal, Iraq, and Norway.
Reminder: Luis Enrique's future at PSG revealed.
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
