Ousmane Dembele scored a sensational hat-trick as France defeated Norway 4-1 to finish top of Group I with a perfect record and book their place in the World Cup knockout stage.
France wrapped up top spot in Group I in emphatic fashion after cruising to a 4-1 victory over a heavily rotated Norway side, with Ousmane Dembele producing a sensational hat-trick to lead Didier Deschamps’ men into the World Cup knockout rounds with a perfect record.
Norway raised plenty of eyebrows before kick-off after making 10 changes to the side that had already secured qualification.
The gamble almost backfired immediately as Kylian Mbappe came within inches of scoring after just 22 seconds, crashing his effort against the underside of the crossbar in what would have been one of the fastest goals in World Cup history.
France maintained relentless pressure throughout the opening stages and finally found the breakthrough when Dembele unleashed a powerful right-footed strike from inside the box that gave goalkeeper Egil Selvik no chance.
The French attack continued to dominate possession and create chances as Norway struggled to cope with their movement.
The Norwegians had a golden opportunity to draw level when Jorgen Strand Larsen volleyed over from close range, but that miss proved costly. France immediately punished the wastefulness with a devastating counterattack that ended with Dembele curling a superb finish into the far corner to double his side’s advantage.
Dembélé came ready to deliver 🪄🇫🇷#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/h9eju1JDSe
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 26, 2026
The game took another dramatic twist moments later as Norway responded straight from the restart. Thelo Aasgaard skipped past his marker before rifling an excellent strike into the bottom corner from outside the box to reduce the deficit, but France restored their two-goal cushion before half-time as Dembele completed a magnificent hat-trick with another composed finish after cutting onto his stronger left foot.
Norway had a chance to get back into the contest early in the second half when Theo Hernandez conceded a penalty after bringing down Oscar Bobb inside the area.
However, Mike Maignan produced a brilliant save to deny Strand Larsen from the spot, becoming the first goalkeeper to stop a penalty at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Bobb remained Norway’s brightest attacking outlet and nearly pulled another goal back after being played through by Aasgaard, but Maignan was once again equal to the task.
With qualification already secured before kick-off, Norway appeared content to preserve their key players ahead of a Round of 32 meeting with Ivory Coast rather than chase the result.
France completed the rout deep into stoppage time when Desire Doue rose highest to head home a fourth goal, putting the finishing touch on another dominant display.
🇫🇷 A stellar performance in Boston to top Group I 💫#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 26, 2026
Les Bleus finished the group stage with three wins from three matches for the first time since their triumphant 1998 World Cup campaign and head into the knockout rounds looking every bit like genuine contenders for another global title.
