France took one step closer to making history in Massachusetts yesterday as they strive to become the first nation to reach three consecutive World Cup finals.

A perfectly executed curler by Kylian Mbappe broke Moroccan resistance on the hour-mark before Ousmane Dembele confirmed France’s passage with a well-taken strike.

Naturally, these two men will get the lion’s share of the headlines today and rightly so.

Yet, another arm of their ferocious attacking arsenal was also a prominent presence, Désiré Doué assisting for his team’s opener and conjuring up another three key passes throughout.

The 21-year-old was a threat throughout, as he has been for much of this summer in the Americas.

Désiré Doué’s World Cup by numbers

Goal involvements: 2

Shots: 11

Key passes: 11

Player duels won: 8.5 per 90

Accurate passes: 22 per 90

His accomplishments at the World Cup is another milestone on a journey that is taking him right to the top of his field, but in many ways too it is a completion, capping a long-held aspiration to succeed that began in the historic city of Angers, Western France.

Fated to succeed

It would be erroneous to claim that Désiré Doué’s ascent into professional football was predetermined. Destiny doesn’t account for raw talent or the resolute drive to always show up at training sessions at nearby Rennes, regardless of weather or circumstance.

Certainly though, the player’s family tree lends itself to talk of fate.

His older brother, Guéla, showed as much promise as Désiré, and two years his senior it was he who first attained a trial at Rennes.

While his sibling was impressing on the pitch, Désiré – just five years old at the time – entertained himself by playing keepy-uppy. So notable were his ball skills that a coach offered him a trial too, then and there.

There is also his cousins to consider, both professional footballers in their own right. Yann Gboho is an attacking midfielder at Toulouse. Marc-Olivier Doué plies his trade in the Spanish second division with Castellón.

And let’s not forget his uncle, who used to be an international referee, officiating at three AFCON tournaments.

Football, therefore, was in Désiré Doué’s blood. As well as raw talent. As well as resolute drive.

Growth and discipline

For close to a decade, Doué came through the ranks at Rennes. Always learning and improving.

Until the day finally came when he made his first-team debut, coming off the bench for 17 minutes on the opening weekend of the 2022/23 season.

Seventeen and fearless, the youngster exhibited his broad skill-set across that campaign, his flair and technical chops making him a valuable asset as Stade Rennais secured a fourth place finish in Ligue 1, qualifying for the Europa League in the process.

In his second season greater responsibility came his way, with tactical discipline enforced.

Doué rose to the challenge and grew as a player, registering nine goal involvements in the French top-flight.

It wasn’t long before transfer gossip began to harden. PSG were interested, a bid reportedly imminent.

A giant step taken in stride

The winger signed for the Parisian giant in mid-August 2024 for a fee exceeding €50m.

That same summer, PSG lured Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli and with Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola already part of the club’s attacking assembly all the talk was of a new era for the 12-time French champions post-Mbappe, Messi and Neymar.

Under the shrewd guidance of Luis Enrique, this multifaceted new-look attack has made that era an extremely successful one, winning two league titles, one Coupe de France and conquering Europe consecutively during Doué’s first two years in the capital.

Individually too, his star has soared.

In both seasons he won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award while last September Doué finished runner-up to Lamine Yamal for the prestigious Kopa Trophy. In the main Ballon d’Or category he picked up 74 votes, coming 14th, just behind Harry Kane and his club team-mate Kvaratskhelia.

Still only 21 years old, it feels like Désiré Doué is on the cusp of something special. Yet his sizable achievements to date insists he is already there.

Désiré Doué’s 2025/26 stats

Games played: 41

Goals: 13

Assists: 11

Key passes: 0.8 per 90

Accurate passes: 32 per 90

Duels won: 9.4 per 90

A breakthrough moment on the international stage

There are numerous landmark moments with PSG – not least two goals and an assist in the 2024 Champions League final - to highlight the trajectory of the winger’s rise, but arguably as meaningful was a friendly, for France, earlier this year.

With the World Cup mere months away, Les Bleus travelled to the USA to face Colombia and though Doué’s squad place was surely guaranteed for the forthcoming tournament, his prominence within it was not.

Vying for starting roles in Didier Deschamp’s side was last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele in addition to luminaries Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola.

To that juncture, Doué had impressed on the international stage but had not scored or assisted in his opening five outings.

A deflected effort early in the contest changed that narrative, while a cooly dispatched second late in the game made an important statement.

A new French star had emerged, and he was firing on every cylinder.