Dembele proud to be in the World Cup final, hails Messi as ‘one of the best in history’

Ousmane Dembele is one of two Barcelona players participating in the upcoming FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France.

As one of France’s main attacking players in the World Cup so far, the winger may have a key role to play in helping Les Bleus defend the title. But things could prove to be tricky up against an Argentina side that have shown immense attacking prowess so far.

Heading into the game, Dembele sat down with Telefoot for an interview, where he talked about the final along with Lionel Messi.

Talking about how he felt heading into the grand finale against La Albiceleste, Dembele said: “Pride. Proud to have come this far already because it has been a long road and it hasn’t been easy. There have been tough matches.

“It is a pleasure to play a second final in a row. The most important thing is the team. We will give everything for France and hopefully we can all celebrate on Monday in Paris.”

The Barcelona winger has been involved in two goals in the World Cup so far. His combination-play along with Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann has been critical for the French side.

However, the 25-year-old suggested that his team have to err on the side of caution when facing Argentina, especially with Messi in their ranks.

“Argentina is a very big footballing country. They have a very good group and a good, well-organised team. I think they are better than they were in 2018. They also have one of the best players in history, Lionel Messi,” he said.

A recent report from the French media highlighted the close bond between Messi and Dembele and the fact that the two are still in contact with each other, despite the former leaving Barcelona last year.

Dembele, therefore, did not shy away from praising the Argentine.

“His leadership. He is a leader on the field, off it too. He is a very, very good person. He has helped the young players a lot. More than that, he is a great player,” he said, when asked about the qualities of Messi.

Dembele, though, is ready to set aside his friendship and prepare for the game ahead. “I will prepare for the match calmly. Even if it is the final, we will maintain our habits of calmness,” he signed off.