4 things to know about French star Desire Doue
When the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise could not score against Paraguay, France could call on Desire Doue off the bench, and his jinking run resulted in a winning penalty. Who is this twinkle-toed 21-year-old game changer?
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
France’s Desire Doue weaving through a trio of Paraguay defenders, which ultimately led to him being tripped by Diego Gomez (left) and earning a penalty that striker Kylian Mbappe duly converted as Les Bleus won the World Cup last-16 clash 1-0.
PHOTO: AFP
1. It’s in the name
On their own, Desire Doue means “desire” and “gifted” respectively in French, and his name would prove prophetic.
Coming through the ranks of Rennes, he was 17 when he made his Ligue 1 debut in 2022. In the same year, he scored the winning goal in their 2-1 Europa League victory over Dynamo Kyiv to make him the youngest French scorer in European club competitions.
In 2024, he secured a €50 million (S$73.9 million) move to Paris Saint-German, where he was able to display electrifying pace and entertaining dribbling skills to the world.
In the 2025 Champions League final, he was still only 19 when he became the youngest player to score two goals and notch an assist as he produced a Man-of-the-Match performance to help PSG beat Inter Milan 5-0 for their first title.
At his first World Cup, he has already grabbed one goal and earned one penalty.
Aware of his value, he has filed several trademarks, through the company DNM Concept run by his parents, which included Desire Doue and Desire Gifted.
2. He almost gave up football
When Doue was still an Under-11 player with Rennes, he almost stopped playing football because one of his coaches played him in defence.
“He didn’t want to play football any more”, said his father, Maho Doue, in a podcast for RMC Scouting.
Fortunately for French football and fans, he persevered and was eventually returned to his preferred attacking role, where he belongs.
At Rennes, he was also once hauled off after 18 minutes after coming on during a 3-1 loss to Lyon in 2023 by Bruno Genesio, the coach who gave him his Ligue 1 debut, for “overcomplicating things”. Doue took the setback in his stride and knuckled down to become one of the world’s best young footballers.
3. He likes his ink
Doue sports several tattoos, including one of an angel on his right arm.
Interestingly, he also has an English motivational phrase inked on his right thigh, which reads: “If you don’t see a clear path to what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself.”
In the last-16 match against Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup, when France had problems breaking down a stubborn defence, Doue did just that. Coming on as a 61st-minute substitute for Bradley Barcola, he took just a few minutes to weave into the penalty box and earn the winning penalty scored by Mbappe.
France’s Desire Doue during training ahead of a 2026 World Cup match in New Jersey, USA, on June 29.
PHOTO: REUTERS
4. His brother is playing for Ivory Coast at the World Cup
Doue was born in Angers, France to an Ivorian father and French mother. Football runs in the family as his older brother Guela Doue and cousins all play professionally.
Intriguingly, 23-year-old right-back Guela represents Ivory Coast and scored in a 2-1 friendly win over France before the World Cup, but Desire did not come off the bench.
Guela and Doue are not the only brothers who are representing different teams at this World Cup. The other three pairs are Inaki (Ghana) and Nico Williams (Spain), Brian Brobbey (Netherlands) and half-brother Derrick Luckassen (Ghana) who both scored in the tournament, and Harry (Australia) and John Souttar (Scotland).
