EXCLUSIVE | Richard Dunne on Folarin Balogun: ‘He has handled himself really well and could be a Premier League success’

EXCLUSIVE | Richard Dunne on Folarin Balogun: ‘He has handled himself really well and could be a Premier League success’ Get French Football News spoke to former Republic of Ireland defender Richard Dunne about some of the French-related World Cup storylines that have caught his eye, ranging from the Paraguayan gamesmanship that France faced last week to the impression made by Monaco forward Forarin Balogun. From a French point of view you will always be associated with Thierry Henry’s handball. You’ve previously said that your issue isn’t so much with him as with the referee who missed it. I’m interested to know what you thought of Paraguay’s performance/attitude against France. Do you think they went too far or was it a case of good for them for getting away with all they did, because of a weak referee? They aren’t as good as France, so had to find a way to get under their skin to try and put them off their game. The French are the best side in the competition, so you have to find a way to put them off their game, so you can look to take advantage. Paraguay went for a physical route at times, but ultimately France had too much for them. It’s up to the referee to control the players and manage the game as well. As a former centre back you’re very well placed to judge. How highly do you rate William Saliba’s and Dayot Upamecano’s performances so far? Which other team’s defences have impressed you and why? They are excellent defenders. We see Saliba week in week out in the Premier League and he is one of the best in the league. Upamecano is also a very good defender, both defending and also with the ball. I would say Spain have defended really well as, like the French, the centre backs can both defend well, and also use the ball well. You’re of course closely connected with Manchester City so will have seen a lot of Rayan Cherki. He has featured in every match but not yet had an influence. Can he count himself unlucky not to have started and do you think he can still have a big influence on France’s tournament? It’s a squad game and he has to be ready when he is given more game time. France’s first XI picks itself at the minute and you can see by their results that they are doing very well. But Cherki is a top player and can be very valuable in the later stages of games when defences are tired. You also have connections with Monaco, living in Monte Carlo. How impressed have you been with AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun, on and off the pitch, and do you think he could be a success if he moved to the Premier League? I have been impressed with Balogun. He has taken his goals well for the USA and with the red card, he handled himself really well as the news was all about the decision to let him play against Belgium, which was nothing to do with him directly, just outside interference. But, yes, his goals in the World Cup would have highlighted his quality to Premier League teams and yes, he could be a success. Richard Dunne was speaking exclusively to Get French Football News courtesy of England World Cup 2026 Odds GFFN | Jeremy Smith