By Dwayne Ferreira.
Dembélé hat-trick drives France to a 4-1 win over Norway, sealing Group I top spot and setting up a World Cup round-of-32 clash with Sweden.
A Dembélé hat-trick powered France to the top of Group I as Les Bleus swept past Norway 4-1 and completed a flawless group-stage campaign.
Both teams had already secured qualification for the round of 32 before kickoff in Foxborough, but first place still mattered. France wanted a cleaner route into the knockout stage and a lighter travel schedule, while Norway chose to protect key players after sealing progression through victories over Iraq and Senegal.
Norway coach Ståle Solbakken rested almost his entire first-choice lineup, including Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard. That decision shaped the match from the opening moments. France attacked immediately, with Kylian Mbappé striking the bar inside the first minute to signal the pressure Norway would face.
Dembélé opened the scoring after six minutes, collecting Mbappé’s sweeping cross-field pass before beating his defender and finishing from a difficult angle. France’s speed and width repeatedly stretched Norway’s second-string defence, and the same attacking partnership created the second goal in the 20th minute.
Norway briefly answered through Thelo Aasgaard, whose goal gave the Scandinavian side a moment of belief. France, however, refused to let the match settle. Dembélé completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute with a low finish into the corner, becoming only the third French player to score a World Cup treble.
The performance carried emotional weight for France, who were without Didier Deschamps on the touchline after the coach returned home to attend his mother’s funeral. Assistant coach Guy Stephan led the team and said the players wanted to honour Deschamps through their performance.
Norway had a major chance early in the second half when Jørgen Strand Larsen stepped up for a penalty, but Mike Maignan saved the weak effort. That moment removed any realistic hope of a comeback and allowed France to control the rest of the contest with authority.
Désiré Doué added France’s fourth with a late header, completing a result that underlined the quality and depth of the French squad. Even with qualification already secured, Les Bleus showed intensity, movement and ruthless finishing.
France finished Group I with nine points and will face Sweden in the round of 32. Norway ended second and will meet Ivory Coast. Haaland is expected to return for that match, but France leave the group stage looking like one of the tournament’s most complete sides.
Match Summary
Norway – 1
Thelo Aasgaard
France – 4
Ousmane Dembélé 6’, 20’, 32’
Désiré Doué
Result: France won 4-1
Player of the Match: Ousmane Dembélé
Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026, Group I
Venue: Boston Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
#France #Norway #OusmaneDembele #KylianMbappe #WorldCup2026 #FIFAWorldCup #GroupI #LesBleus #NorwayFootball #FranceFootball #TheMorningTelegraph
