Ousmane Dembele is confident France can win the Euro 2024 championship after defeating Portugal on penalties in Hamburg in Friday’s quarter-final.
Both sides played a goalless draw in 120 minutes and when it came to the resultant shootout, Les Bleus were the ones who came out on top 5-3, Dembele converting the first spot kick.
The Paris Saint-Germain winger, who is of Congolese heritage, now believes France have the credentials to go all the way based on their track record from Euro 2016 when they hosted the tournament but lost the final ironically to Portugal after extra time.
“Yes, for sure. When you get to this stage of the competition, you want to go all the way,” Dembele said.
“Since 2016, or better I’d say since 2014-2016, France did well in the international competitions, with the exception of 2021, when we were eliminated in the Round of 16. And I think that fortifies your character. We always try to help each other.
“These are difficult competitions with difficult matches. This year at this European Championship we scored three goals, if I am not mistaken. We are there in the semi-finals and I think it is the solidity of this team, the mental strength of this team that brought us there.”
A constant threat 🌟@Vivo_GLOBAL | #EUROPOTM pic.twitter.com/ZJjsyu7f8R
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 5, 2024
France have struggled for goals at Euro 2024 and are yet to score from open play but Dembele sees no problem with it.
“It’s true that we scored only three goals, but what’s positive is that we created a lot of chances,” he added.
“I think we are not clinical. We create chances, we are not capable of converting them. That’s what’s positive. Then, about how France play, it is like this. We play like this, we are in the semi-finals, those who are not happy are not our problem.”
France will face Spain in the semi-finals in Munich on Tuesday.
