France will face Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar with Ousmane Dembele on Sunday. But the winger has got some supporters wondering if the Barcelona star is African.
Dembele can become a two-time champion of the world should Les Bleus win at the Lusail Iconic Stadium. The 25-year-old is currently competing at a second World Cup after he also aided France’s successful campaign at Russia 2018. But he has been far more vital in 2022.
Didier Deschamps only fielded the forward in four fixtures four years ago and he started in just two, as well. But Dembele has opened five of his six appearances in Qatar so far – only starting their last Group D tie on the bench. He has also laid on two assists but is yet to net.
Is France’s 2022 World Cup star Ousmane Dembele African?
Dembele playing a key role in Deschamps’ squad has left some supporters wondering if the France forward is African, too. But the 34-cap star is only of African descent as his parents are from Mauritania and Mali. Dembele was born in Vernon in France on May 15, 1997.
Mauritania, which is officially named the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is situated in the northwest of Africa. The nation shares its borders with four countries. It is the 39th most-populated nation in Africa with Worldometers citing a population of 4.6 million as of 2020.
It has borders with the Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara to the northwest and Algeria to the northeast. Mali borders Mauritania to the east and southeast and is its longest border at around 1,390 miles. While the Senegal River to the southwest borders the two countries.
Per World Atlas, while the border between Mauritania and Mali is roughly 1,390 miles, its border with Western Sahara is just 97 miles long. But its shortest land border is 286 miles with Algeria. Mauritania is the 28th largest nation globally at around 400,000 square miles.
Why did Dembele’s parents move to Europe before he was born?
Dembele’s parents moved to France from Mauritania before the 2022 World Cup star was born in 1997. The Guardian reported in 2017 that his mother, Fatimata Sy, and her family migrated to France three decades ago in search of a better life before settling in Vernon.
Meanwhile, the winger’s father, Ousmane Sr, is Malian but he left the family home whilst Dembele was young. It is through his father that the forward takes his name, hence some now wondering if Dembele is African ahead of France and Argentina’s World Cup final tie.
At the time of Fatimata Sy leaving Mauritania, the country was one of the world’s poorest. The Guardian also notes it was one of the last to legally abolish slavery – in 2007. Dembele still visited the southern part of his homeland to visit relatives still living in Waly Diantang.
Fatimata Sy later relocated her family to Brittany while Dembele was 13. He also joined the academy of Stade Rennais from Madeleine Evreux in 2010 before making his senior bow in 2015. But he was already a name in Waly Diantang for his efforts in the French youth tiers.
The Vernon native is among the world’s most expensive footballers
Dembele only made 29 first-team appearances with Rennes before leaving the Ligue 1 side in 2016. Borussia Dortmund secured his services for £13m after the forward scored 12 and laid on five goals in 26 top-flight appearances. He also struck a hat-trick against FC Nantes.
With BVB, the forward went on to win the DFB-Pokal in his debut season. Dembele also hit 10 and laid on 22 goals in 49 games across all competitions in 2016/17. But he was then on the move again as Barcelona made the attacker one of the world’s most expensive players.
Barcelona raided Borussia Dortmund to sign Dembele for an initial £97m at 20 years old on a five-year contract. The move could cost the Blaugrana £135.5m after add-ons and has so far returned 37 goals and 41 assists in 170 appearances across all competitions with them.
The Camp Nou outfit also awarded Dembele a new contract this summer. Sport reports it is a two-year deal worth €16m (£269k-a/w) gross per annum. He can also get €4m (£3.5m) in easy-to-achieve add-ons. The contract has a release clause officially worth €100m (£87m).
But Sport suggests the release clause may only be worth €50m (£43.5m). Dembele would also receive 50% of the fee should a club trigger his release clause. For that, a team would be buying a player who has won La Liga twice and two Copa del Rey titles with Barcelona.
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