Ousmane Dembélé best World Cup bet boosts, top goalscorer odds and Golden Ball odds

Ousmane Dembélé arrived in North America as the reigning Ballon d’Or winner. The problem in backing him to score goals pre-tournament was that very little of his extraordinary club form has translated to the international stage – until now!

Dembélé enjoyed another sensational campaign with PSG, averaging a goal involvement every 71 minutes and helping the French giants retain the Champions League. Yet prior to this tournament, he had scored just seven goals for France and none at a World Cup or a European Championship, which seeems unfathomable.

After a hat trick against Norway and the third of Les Bleus’ goals against Iraq, however, he has gone a long way to putting that dismal record right. He’s keeping Kylian Mbappé company at the top of the scoring charts both for France and for the tournament in general.

We’ll assess Dembélé’s chances of following that up and finally turning his domestic dominance into international success. We’ll explore the markets that make most appeal.

Ousmane Dembélé betting odds

Best Ousmane Dembélé World Cup bet boosts

There probably won’t be a huge outpouring of offers and price boosts on Ousmane Dembélé, largely because Kylian Mbappé will dominate that space for France. That said, France’s embarrassment of attacking riches could create opportunities elsewhere.

• Anytime goalscorer: Mbappé’s prices will be short, while Michael Olise’s rapid rise in a France shirt means bookmakers are taking him seriously too. That could leave Dembélé at more attractive odds than a reigning Ballon d’Or winner probably should be.
• First goalscorer: Similar logic applies here. France have goals all over the pitch and that should help keep Dembélé’s odds honest. If he can finally translate his PSG form to the international stage, these prices could look generous.
• France top goalscorer: Dembélé’s price – with his treble against Norway – briefly reduced all the way down to 3/1, from around 66/1, but is now back to around 10 or 12/1 – Mbappé’s third brace of the tournament saw him jump ahead once again in that market.
• Golden Ball: This is arguably the award best suited to Dembélé’s profile. Unlike the Golden Boot, it’s not purely about goals and his overall influence on matches could come into play if France make a deep run.
• Shots on target: I’d be less enthusiastic here. Dembélé’s goalscoring numbers are impressive for PSG, but he still isn’t a particularly high-volume shooter. He managed just 45 shots and 18 efforts on target in Ligue 1 last season, so I’d be wary of bookmakers hanging ambitious lines in this market.

Ousmane Dembele top goalscorer odds

This really does boil down to whether you’re an Ousmane Dembélé believer or not. He managed to shave a nought off his previous price of 100/1 following the Iraq game to 10/1 after his superb treble against the Norwegians. That has crept back to 16/1 after Mbappé resumed his role as the main character against Sweden – ultimately, that’s who you’re up against if you’re backing Dembélé.

The Ballon d’Or winner scored 20 goals in 40 appearances for PSG despite missing 19 matches through injury. The year before that, he struck 35 times and played a pivotal role in PSG clinching back-to-back Champions League titles.

Mbappé is France’s undisputed talisman, takes penalties and boasts an outrageous World Cup record, winning the Golden Boot in 2022 after scoring eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final.

There’s also the emergence of Michael Olise, who has hit the ground running with seven goals in 20 international appearances following a stunning 22-goal campaign for Bayern Munich.

Despite his hat trick, there’s still just too much going against Dembélé for me. If you think he can defy the odds and outscore Mbappé – and also Lionel Messi – from here, there’s certainly decent value in it.

👟 Bet on Dembele to take home the Golden Boot at 16/1 with Paddy Power 👟

Ousmane Dembélé Golden Ball odds

There’s a slightly stronger argument for Dembélé in this category at 14/1.

Unlike the Golden Boot, the Golden Ball isn’t purely about goals. It’s awarded by a panel of media representatives to the player deemed to have had the biggest impact on the tournament.

That gives Dembélé a slightly better chance. His goalscoring record for France leaves plenty to be desired, but this award allows voters to consider a player’s overall influence rather than simply judging him on goals alone.

The Golden Ball is also almost exclusively reserved for finalists or winners of the competition, and that’s another point in Dembélé’s favour with France arriving as one of the tournament favourites after reaching the last two World Cup finals.

Mbappé and Olise are both shorter in the betting, which tells you everything you need to know about how bookmakers view Dembélé’s chances. It’s a strange thing to say about the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, but 14/1 right now feels about right.

⚽ Back Ousmane Dembélé to win the Golden Ball at 14/1 with BetVictor ⚽

France to win the World Cup odds

France are available at around 11/8 to win the World Cup, putting them ahead of the rest – including European champions Spain and defending world champions Argentina – in the betting. Les Bleus have earned the favourites tag after playing some scintillating football so far, scoring 13 goals in just four games.

They’ve reached the last two World Cup finals, winning the tournament in 2018 before finishing runners-up to Argentina four years later. They also possess one of the deepest squads at these finals with Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise, Rayan Cherki, Bradley Barcola and Jean-Philippe Mateta in their artillery.

That’s important when assessing Dembélé’s individual markets. Golden Boots and Golden Balls are far easier to win when your nation could potentially play eight matches en route to lifting the trophy.

Best ways to back Ousmane Dembele during the World Cup

If you’re a Dembélé believer, these are the markets I’d be looking at.

• France top goalscorer: I’m not backing it myself but depending on when you place it, you could get good value – Mbappé will always have the much shorter price.
• Anytime goalscorer: This is another market where Dembélé’s price could be inflated. Mbappé will attract most of the attention, while Olise’s emergence means bookmakers aren’t sleeping on him either.
• Golden Ball/Golden Boot: I can see the argument for both, but I’d still need convincing. Dembélé’s overall influence arguably gives him a better chance in the Golden Ball market, especially if he turns provider for Mbappé and France go on to win it.
• Bet Builder: Quite tempting to include Dembélé in matchday Bet Builders. His prices are likely to be more generous than Mbappé’s and can be paired with more straightforward selections to boost the overall odds.

Ousmane Dembélé previous World Cup record

For a player with a World Cup winner’s medal and a runners-up medal, Dembélé’s record at major tournaments is surprisingly underwhelming.

The France forward made 11 World Cup appearances across the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, and didn’t score a single goal. His only contributions have been two assists.

It’s a similar story at the European Championship, where he has also failed to find the net.

Final verdict

It’s quite a frustrating story for punters and Dembélé. The prices are certainly there, with some huge odds available on Dembélé to collect a swathe of individual awards.

But at some point you have to stop looking at the PSG numbers and start looking at the France numbers.

If I had to get involved, I’d be looking at boosts, enhanced prices and match-by-match goalscorer markets. Dembélé is clearly an elite finisher and his odds should remain attractive with so much attention focused on Mbappé and Olise.

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