Dembélé’s 25-Minute Hat-Trick Fires France to Perfect Group I Record — Norway 1-4 France

Kylian Mbappé hit the crossbar after just 22 seconds, and from that moment, Norway’s second-string defenders knew exactly what was coming. Ousmane Dembélé scored three goals in 25 first-half minutes — the second-earliest hat-trick in World Cup history — as France demolished a heavily rotated Norway 4-1 at Boston Stadium on June 26, 2026. Erling Haaland watched every second from the substitutes’ bench. Désiré Doué added a late fourth. France wins Group I with a perfect record and heads into the knockout rounds as arguably the most dangerous attacking team at the entire 2026 World Cup.

Norway vs France 1-4 Highlights — World Cup 2026 Group I

Both sides had already qualified before a ball was kicked in Foxborough, Massachusetts — meaning Norway made 10 changes to their starting XI, resting Haaland, Martin Ødegaard, Alexander Sørloth and eight other starters to preserve them for their Round of 32 clash with the Ivory Coast. The only regular retained was Benfica’s Fredrik Aursnes. France, meanwhile, kept Dembélé and Mbappé in attack — and the Norwegian second string had absolutely no answer.

France also played without head coach Didier Deschamps, who missed the match to attend the funeral of his mother. His absence did nothing to slow Les Bleus down.

Match Summary:

Ousmane Dembélé Hat-Trick — The Second-Earliest in World Cup History

France wasted no time making clear what kind of performance this would be.

22 seconds — Mbappé hits the bar. Dembélé capitalised on a Leo Østigård error to release Mbappé, who fired from a tight angle and watched his effort crash against the crossbar. A warning shot. Norway’s stand-in defenders had been warned. They didn’t heed it.

7′ — Dembélé opens the scoring. Mbappé threaded a brilliant through-ball to find Dembélé in space on the right. The PSG forward cut inside, dropped a shoulder, and then went back onto his right foot — firing a crisp, angled strike across goalkeeper Egil Selvik and into the far corner. Dembélé’s fourth goal of the tournament in just his second start. Class, effortless, deadly.

20′ — Dembélé makes it 2-0. A minute after France had racked up seven shots on target — the most by any team inside the opening 20 minutes of a World Cup match since records began in 1966 — Mbappé found Dembélé again, this time in space between three defenders at the top of the box. What he did next was extraordinary: three defenders, one touch, and a left-footed strike that found the same far corner with breathtaking precision.

21′ — Aasgaard pulls one back. Norway responded with stunning immediacy. Just 79 seconds after France’s second goal, Thelo Aasgaard — whose mother is French — received a pass from Andreas Schjelderup, drove past Dayot Upamecano, and drilled a low finish past Maignan. A brief moment of hope. It lasted approximately 11 minutes.

32′ — Dembélé completes the hat-trick. Aurélien Tchouaméni found Dembélé inside the area, and the French forward displayed supreme patience — toying with the Norwegian defence before curling a left-footed strike into the exact same bottom corner for the third time. Three goals. 25 minutes. The only previous hat-trick completed earlier in a World Cup match belongs to Erich Probst, who scored three inside 24 minutes for Austria against Czechoslovakia in 1954.

📺 Watch the full match highlights: Norway vs France 1-4 — FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Highlights

Why Didn’t Haaland Play vs France? — Norway’s Bold Rotation Decision

The most-searched question after this match is also the simplest to answer: Norway had already secured their place in the Round of 32, they face Ivory Coast in Dallas on June 30, and managerStåle Solbakken made the bold decision to protect every single key player.

Haaland, Ødegaard, Sørloth, and Orjan Nyland in goal — all rested. All watching from the bench. It is a gamble that carries obvious logic: why risk your best players in a group-stage match that cannot change your qualification status? Norway will undoubtedly be stronger against the Ivory Coast than they were today.

But the statistics that emerged from today’s performance tell their own story about how much Norway depend on Haaland. Norway are now winless in their last six competitive matches without him in the starting XI — a record of three draws and three defeats. The gap between Norway with Haaland and Norway without him is not a subtle one.

Strand Larsen’s Missed Penalty — The Moment That Ended Norway’s Hope

Norway’s only realistic chance of a second-half comeback arrived in the 49th minute. Théo Hernandez, guilty of a lazy challenge, tripped Oscar Bobb inside the France area — clear penalty. Jørgen Strand Larsen stepped up with Norway trailing 3-1, needing the goal to build any possible momentum.

His spot-kick was poor — a stuttering run-up and a weak effort toward the right corner that Mike Maignan read perfectly, diving comfortably to his right to make the save. In that moment, Norway’s afternoon was effectively over.

Désiré Doué added the finishing touch in the 90+4th minute, nodding home substitute Bradley Barcola’s cross to complete a 4-1 scoreline that France’s performance fully deserved.

France World Cup 2026 — A Perfect Group Record and a Warning to Everyone Else

France has now scored 10 goals in three group-stage matches — the most by any team at this World Cup — while keeping two clean sheets. They become only the second French side to win all three of their World Cup group matches, with the previous occasion being the 1998 tournament — the year they won the trophy on home soil.

Dembélé now has four tournament goals, and Mbappé — who won his 101st cap today — has 16 World Cup goals and four assists across 17 matches. The combination of the two in Boston was a masterclass in French attacking football at its very finest.

The only notable concern is the absence of William Saliba, who rested with a sore back. Coach Deschamps returns to the squad on Saturday ahead of the knockout stages. He will not be unhappy with what he sees.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I Final Standings

Round of 32 Fixtures:

• 🇫🇷 France vs TBC — June 29
• 🇳🇴 Norway vs Ivory Coast — June 30, Dallas

For full FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I results, France match updates and live coverage, visit fawanewss.co.uk. Full fixtures, group standings and squads at the official FIFA website.