Ousmane Dembele of France has disclosed the instruction Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina, provided him at Barcelona prior to their Sunday meeting in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
Messi and Dembele worked together for four seasons at Barcelona before Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
The 25-year-old will face Messi in this year’s World Cup final as France attempts to become the first nation to successfully defend the championship. The player has struggled with injuries during his tenure at Barcelona.
And after moving from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, Dembele has explained how Messi inspired him to modify his playing approach at Camp Nou.
He said that Messi also greatly aided him and that France must ensure he touches the ball as little as possible this weekend because of how dangerous he is.
Dembele was quoted by Marca as saying, “I arrived at 20 years old and I wanted to accomplish everything by myself.”
“He provided me peace of mind, telling me when to pass and when to dribble.
He was one of the people who, along with Iniesta, helped me fall in love with Barcelona during my four excellent years there. He is quite straightforward in the locker room and adores the younger guys.
“He has helped me a lot, and I used to sit next to him in the dressing room. He’s really dangerous, so we need to make sure he touches the ball as little as possible,” he continued.
