France secured top spot in FIFA World Cup Group I with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Norway, inspired by a sensational hat-trick from Ousmane Dembélé. While much of the pre-match attention centred on the anticipated battle between Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot, it was Dembélé who stole the spotlight with a dazzling display.

Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken made a bold decision by heavily rotating his squad ahead of the knockout stage. Erling Haaland was left on the bench alongside several other first-team regulars, with ten changes made to the starting XI compared to the previous match.

Mbappé nearly made an instant impact, rattling the crossbar from a tight angle just 22 seconds after kick-off. It was an early warning, but the breakthrough belonged to his teammate.

On seven minutes, reigning Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé showcased his trademark brilliance, skipping past his marker with quick footwork before curling a superb left-footed effort into the far corner to give France a deserved lead.

The Paris Saint-Germain star doubled the advantage midway through the first half with another stunning strike. Without even entering the penalty area, Dembélé unleashed an unstoppable left-footed shot into the bottom corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

Norway responded almost immediately as Oscar Bobb created space inside the box and set up Jørgen Strand Larsen, whose finish wrong-footed Mike Maignan to reduce the deficit to 2-1.

Any hopes of a comeback were short-lived. In the 32nd minute, Dembélé completed a magnificent hat-trick, weaving through multiple defenders before drilling another clinical left-footed finish into the far bottom corner. It was a moment of individual brilliance that underlined his world-class form.

Norway had a golden opportunity to get back into the contest early in the second half after Theo Hernández conceded a penalty. However, Mike Maignan produced a composed save to deny Jørgen Strand Larsen, comfortably stopping a centrally placed effort.

The final goal arrived after both Mbappé and Dembélé had been substituted. Another slick move involving Paris Saint-Germain teammates saw Désiré Doué head home an inviting cross from Bradley Barcola, sealing a convincing 4-1 victory.

Solbakken remained committed to preserving his key players for the knockout rounds, with Erling Haaland never leaving the bench. The gamble may yet pay off later in the tournament, but on this occasion France delivered a statement performance, finishing top of the group thanks to an unforgettable night from Ousmane Dembélé.

World Cup 2026

Norway - France 1:4 (1:3)
Goals: Dembele O., 7 (0:1); Dembele O., 20 (0:2); Aasgaard T., 21 (1:2); Dembele O., 32 (1:3); Doue D., 94 (1:4)

Norway: Selvik; Falchener (Langås, 66); Ostigard; Bjorkan (Holmgren Pedersen, 46); Berg P.; Aursnes; Thorstvedt (Thorsby, 46); Aasgaard T.; Schjelderup (Nusa, 83); Bobb (Hauge, 83); Strand Larsen
Substitution: Holmgren Pedersen (from 46); Thorsby (from 46); Langås (from 66); Hauge (from 83); Nusa (from 83)
Bench: Nyland; Tangvik; Heggem; Wolfe; Ajer; Ryerson; Berge; Odegaard; Håland E.; Sørloth
Yellow Cards: Berg P. 10

France: Maignan; Lacroix M.; Theo Hernández; Upamecano (Konate, 76); Kounde (Gusto, 87); Tchouaméni; Koné M.; Olise (Cherki, 65); Doue D.; Dembele O. (Barcola B., 65); Mbappé (Mateta, 87)
Substitution: Cherki (from 65); Barcola B. (from 65); Konate (from 76); Gusto (from 87); Mateta (from 87)
Bench: Samba B.; Risser; Saliba; Digne; Lucas Hernandez; Kante N.; Rabiot; Zaire-Emery; Akliouche; Thuram M.
Yellow Cards: Tchouaméni 74