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France crushed Norway 4-1 on Friday, June 26, at the , in the final group stage match of the 2026 World Cup, with Ousmane Dembélé being the standout player, completing a hat-trick in just 25 minutes of play.
The French forward opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a precise shot and struck again against the Norwegian goalkeeper in the 20th minute to make it 2-0 before the opponent could organize themselves. Dembélé required only three shots to score his three goals, achieving a 100% efficiency that made him the undisputed star of the match.
Norway tried to react immediately: Thelo Aasgaard narrowed the gap in the 21st minute to make it 1-2, creating a brief moment of tension in the stadium. However, the French response was strong.
In the 32nd minute, Dembélé completed his hat-trick and set the score at 3-1 before halftime, dispelling any Norwegian hopes of a comeback.
A fact that illustrates the French dominance: Kylian Mbappé did not score, but he provided two assists before being substituted in the 87th minute by J. Mateta. The French captain was a constant threat without needing to score to influence the match.
In the second half, Norway had a great opportunity to close the gap. In the 50th minute, J. Larsen faced the goalkeeper from the penalty spot, but his shot did not find the back of the net, and the score remained unchanged at 3-1. It was the final blow to Norway's hopes of making the match more competitive.
Dembélé left the field in the 65th minute, replaced by Bryan Barcola, having completed his task. The final score was established in stoppage time: Désiré Doué headed the ball in the 90th minute to secure the definitive 4-1 and round off an outstanding performance by the French team.
The statistics clearly reflected the French dominance throughout the 90 minutes: 57% possession compared to Norway's 43%, 17 shots with eight on target against Norway's 10 shots and four on target.
Each team received a yellow card: P. Berg for Norway in the 10th minute and A. Tchouameni for France in the 74th. The match was played in front of 64,146 spectators at Gillette Stadium.
The context of the match added an intriguing element: Norway made significant rotations, leaving Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard on the bench, while France faced the match without their head coach Didier Deschamps, who was absent due to the passing of his mother and was replaced on the bench by Guy Stéphan.
With this result, with a perfect record: three matches, three wins, 10 goals scored, only two conceded, and nine points, with a goal difference of +8, solidifying its position as one of the tournament's strongest teams. Dembélé has scored four goals and provided one assist in the 2026 World Cup and was named the best player of the match.
Norway advanced as the second qualifier from the group with six points despite the loss, while Senegal and Iraq were eliminated. In the round of 16, France will face Sweden on June 30 in Philadelphia, while Norway will take on Ivory Coast on the same day in Dallas.
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