There are many reasons to feel a little uncomfortable at this World Cup in Qatar.

For example, the constant monitoring of the ubiquitous cameras.

The many migrant workers who work for security services, many of whom do not know how to earn a living after the World Cup, also trigger a sympathy that is not nice.

Also, flâneurs are constantly encountering rather scruffy-looking cats on the streets of Doha, which is obviously a problem for French footballer Ousmane Dembélé.

"He's afraid of cats.

When we walk outside and when we eat, Ousmane gets scared, which gets everyone a little smile," says fellow player Randal Kolo Muani in a panel discussion.

So far, however, this fear has not affected his performance.

Dembélé is one of the most interesting players in the World Cup so far.

Before coach Didier Deschamps called up a B-Elf against Tunisia to protect his most important people for the round of 16 against Poland (Sunday, 4 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the World Cup and on MagentaTV), the 25-year-old winger was an integral part of the perhaps the most exciting offensive quartets of this World Cup.

With Mbappé, the superstar and three-time scorer, Griezmann the ordering hand, Giroud the hard worker and Dembélé, the artist, the madman, the genius.

Dembélé can make the difference

Dembélé is one of the rare footballers with the ability to create gold out of dust.

If he dances with the ball on his right wing, anything is possible at any time, no matter what the opponent's standing.

"He can be the best player in the world in his position, he can make the difference," Xavi, Dembélé's club coach at FC Barcelona, ​​once said, albeit with an addition: "We have to help him with that."

That seems to be working, because for the past year and a half, genius has been seen more often than madness, including at this World Cup.

"Defensively, he's made a lot of progress.

If he has to work backwards, he does it,” says Deschamps.

“And offensively, he can always cause problems for the opponent because he is so quick and talented.

He just needs to become more effective.”

He has already proven that Dembélé has the ability to develop, headlines about scandals have become rare, after a long time stories about this professional were told that had nothing to do with football at all.

Once he is said to have almost gotten into a fight with his former coach Ernesto Valverde in Barcelona, ​​missing training sessions and team meetings, maybe even skipping.

At BVB there were constant stories and rumors of indiscipline while he shone on the pitch.

After a year he went on strike to FC Barcelona.

When Dembélé is now asked about this past, he says: "I think we should delete this question in the future because many things have changed".

He had "difficult years, for three or four seasons".

But those times should be over now, in Qatar this special footballer would like to present himself as a mature man.

“You change between 19, 20 and 25 years.

Some things weren't what you imagine.

But I've matured and become more responsible, in my game and off the pitch," he says.