Ousmane Dembele scored a stunning first-half hat-trick to lead France to a 4-1 victory over Norway in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match at Gillette Stadium in Boston on Friday. The win ensured France finished top of the group with a perfect record, while Norway settled for second place.
Dembele's early brilliance sets the tone
The Ballon d'Or winner opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a clinical finish, capitalizing on a defensive lapse by Norway. He doubled the lead in the 20th minute with a powerful strike from outside the box that left Norwegian goalkeeper Orjan Nyland with no chance.
Norway responded quickly, with Thelo Aasgaard pulling one back in the 21st minute after a swift counter-attack. However, Dembele restored France's two-goal cushion in the 32nd minute, completing his hat-trick with a composed finish after a pinpoint pass from Kylian Mbappe.
Historic hat-trick and missed chances
Dembele's treble was the first first-half hat-trick at a FIFA World Cup in the 21st century, according to tournament statistics. Norway had a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit in the second half when they were awarded a penalty, but striker Jorgen Strand Larsen saw his spot-kick saved by French goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
France continued to dominate possession and created several chances, with Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann testing the Norwegian defense. The match remained 3-1 until stoppage time.
Doue seals the victory
In the 94th minute, substitute Desire Doue added a fourth goal for France, heading home a cross from Bradley Barcola. The 21-year-old Paris Saint-Germain winger made an immediate impact, showcasing France's depth in attack.
France have now scored three or more goals in each of their last four World Cup matches, the longest such run by any team since Spain between 1998 and 2002.
Group standings and knockout stage
France finished top of Group I with nine points, while Norway ended second with six points. Norway will face Ivory Coast in the round of 32 in Dallas, while France will stay on the East Coast to play a third-place qualifier.
According to the official FIFA match report, France's victory marked their sixth consecutive win in the group stage, extending their unbeaten run to 10 matches in World Cup competition.
