Norway rises, France tipped to win, Mexico impresses at World Cup 2026

France’s 4-1 win over Norway, built on Ousmane Dembélé’s hat-trick in 32 minutes, has pushed Les Bleus to the front of the title conversation and prompted Ståle Solbakken to call their attack “the best in the competition by far.” In a tournament played across 48 teams, 104 matches and three host countries, the result in Norway’s toughest test so far has become one of the clearest markers of where the balance of power stands as the bracket tightens toward the final on July 19 in New York/New Jersey.

France backed up the scoreline with a flawless group stage, winning all three matches for the first time at a World Cup since 1998, the year it lifted the trophy at home. Dembélé’s burst against Norway gave the attack a signature moment, while Kylian Mbappé’s double against Sweden moved him to 18 international goals, leaving him one behind Lionel Messi’s mark. Mbappé also sat atop the tournament’s Golden Boot race, another sign that France is producing elite output across the front line rather than relying on a single star.

Norway still left the impression of a team on the rise, even after Solbakken rested Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard against France for physical reasons in what he called a “no-brainer” after medical checks and feedback from the staff. Haaland had scored in every match he played in the tournament, and Norway also logged its first victory in a World Cup knockout match by beating Côte d’Ivoire, a breakthrough that suggests more than a short burst of form. Solbakken’s decision to protect both of his biggest names underscored how far Norway has come: it now expects to compete in the latter rounds rather than simply survive them.

Mexico’s surge has added a different kind of pressure to the field. Julián Quiñones scored the first goal of the World Cup on June 11 against South Africa in the Estadio de la Ciudad de México, then helped Mexico become the first side to secure a place in the round of 16 after a 1-0 win over South Korea. Javier Aguirre said Quiñones “hoy marcó la diferencia,” a line that captured both the player’s immediate impact and the broader shift around Mexico’s attack. In a tournament still taking shape, France looks like the most complete favorite, Norway looks capable of forcing the elite to pay attention, and Mexico has already turned a strong opening into real tournament leverage.