Dembélé hat-trick sends France top of Group I, despite Norway goal

Ousmane Dembélé ripped through Norway with a hat-trick in 32 minutes, lifting France to the top of Group I after a 3-1 win at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The result preserved France’s better path into the round of 16, even after Norway briefly shook the game back to life.

The stakes were clear before kickoff in the final match of the group stage at the 2026 World Cup. France only needed a draw to finish first because of its superior goal difference, while Norway needed a win to steal the top spot. Both teams had already secured qualification for the knockout round, but first place carried the advantage of avoiding a tougher-looking opponent next. Kylian Mbappé started for France, while Erling Haaland did not begin for Norway, which made 10 changes to its starting lineup.

France took control early through Dembélé, who opened the scoring in the seventh minute and struck again in the 20th, with Mbappé providing both assists. His third arrived in the 32nd minute from Aurélien Tchouaméni’s pass, completing one of the fastest hat-tricks ever seen at a World Cup and putting France in command of the group.

Norway refused to let the game settle. Thelo Aasgaard, the Liverpool-born midfielder, answered shortly after Dembélé’s second goal and scored the 1-2 that pulled Norway back into the contest. His finish came quickly enough to change the mood inside the stadium, restoring belief for a side that had spent most of the opening half chasing the game.

That response mattered because the match was never just about the scoreline. France’s early lead had given it room to manage the group, but Aasgaard’s goal forced a sharper final stretch and briefly turned the evening into a test of nerves. Norway’s rotation and Haaland’s absence made the task harder, yet the quick reply showed why its press and attacking belief still carried weight, even against a France side powered by Mbappé and Dembélé.