Omanghana
France delivered a commanding performance to defeat Norway 4-1 at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with Ousmane Dembélé producing a breathtaking first-half hat-trick to secure top spot in Group I at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Having already booked their places in the Round of 32 before kickoff, both sides entered the match with qualification assured. Norway manager Ståle Solbakken opted to heavily rotate his squad, making ten changes to his starting lineup and leaving Manchester City striker Erling Haaland on the bench throughout the contest. France, however, showed no signs of easing off, producing one of their most dominant displays of the tournament.
Les Bleus wasted little time asserting their authority. Dembélé opened the scoring in the seventh minute, finishing clinically after latching onto a well-worked attacking move to beat goalkeeper Egil Selvik and hand France an early advantage.
The Paris Saint-Germain winger doubled France’s lead in spectacular fashion in the 20th minute, unleashing a powerful low strike from long range that flew beyond Selvik’s reach and into the bottom corner.
Norway responded immediately from the restart. Just a minute later, Andreas Schjelderup found Thelo Aasgaard with a perfectly weighted pass, allowing the midfielder to fire past Mike Maignan and briefly reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Any hopes of a Norwegian comeback were quickly extinguished by Dembélé, who completed a sensational hat-trick in the 32nd minute. The French star curled a superb effort into the net to cap off a remarkable opening half, becoming the first player to score three goals in a single match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Norway had a golden opportunity to claw their way back into the contest five minutes after the break when Theo Hernández brought down Oscar Bobb inside the penalty area. However, Jørgen Strand Larsen failed to capitalize, as Maignan guessed correctly and comfortably saved the spot kick to preserve France’s two-goal cushion.
France continued to control proceedings for the remainder of the match and added a fourth goal deep into stoppage time. Substitute Bradley Barcola provided the assist for teenage sensation Désiré Doué, who calmly slotted home in the 93rd minute to complete a convincing 4-1 victory.
The emphatic win ensured France finished as Group I winners with maximum confidence heading into the knockout stages, while Norway advanced as runners-up despite suffering their first defeat of the tournament.
Source: Omanghana
