Argentina vs. France rivalry transcends 2022 World Cup as Ousmane Dembele mocks Ligue 1 rival: ‘He’s rubbish’
Argentina and France delivered one of the most thrilling World Cup finals in history at Qatar 2022. The drama of such a high-stakes showdown also fueled tensions between the two sides, with several heated individual battles. Now, Ousmane Dembele has found himself at the center of a curious exchange with a Ligue 1 rival.
Over the weekend, Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille faced off in another edition of Le Classique, the marquee matchup between the two biggest clubs in French soccer. Luis Enrique’s squad showcased its quality in a dominant 5-0 victory, maintaining sole possession of first place in the standings.
Dembele stood out with two goals and an assist, but he also drew attention for a tense exchange with an opposing player. Television cameras caught the moment the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner approached Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to criticize a Marseille teammate.
“Balerdi, he’s rubbish! You know it,” Dembele said, according to Ligue 1’s official account on X. The PSG winger then covered his mouth and continued speaking to the Marseille midfielder, who chose not to respond. “You know it,” Ousmane repeated. “He’s always mouthing off.”
Ousmane is key for France, Balerdi fighting for a spot with Argentina
The gap between PSG and Marseille in their weekend clash mirrors the contrast in the international outlooks of Ousmane Dembele and Leonardo Balerdi ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
The winger appears to have a secure place with the France national team after being part of Didier Deschamps’ squads at Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. His new superstar status — following his success with PSG and his Ballon d’Or and FIFA The Best awards — has made him one of the team’s most important players.
Balerdi’s situation is very different. He has made just 11 appearances for Argentina, across friendlies and World Cup qualifiers, since his 2019 debut. Last year, head coach Lionel Scaloni showed considerable faith in the defender, giving him minutes in nine of the team’s last 13 matches. Still, competition for a roster spot is fierce, and the return of Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez from injury could push him out of World Cup contention.
The Argentina-France rivalry was born in recent years
Until 2018, Argentina and France had met only twice in World Cup history — once in the inaugural 1930 tournament and again in the group stage in 1978 — with the South Americans winning both. Nothing particularly significant had defined the matchup until then.
That changed at Russia 2018, when the teams met in the Round of 16 in a pulsating match that ended in a 4-3 victory for France, powered by a Kylian Mbappe brace. With that recent history in place, Argentina and France faced off again in the Qatar 2022 final, where the rivalry reached another level.
Argentina’s penalty shootout victory was followed by taunts not only from fans but also from players, including Emiliano Martinez. The fallout affected Lionel Messi, who was playing for PSG at the time, and contributed to his departure from the club months later.
The lingering resentment was underscored recently by former France player Djibril Cisse in an interview with L’Equipe. “I only feel hatred toward them,” he said of Argentina, referring to the post-title celebrations. “After seeing those images, I was even angry. I feel a lot of hatred toward them. Clearly, today they are our main enemy.”