France stormed into the FIFA World Cup knockout stage in style after a commanding 4-1 victory over Norway, with Ousmane Dembélé stealing the spotlight by scoring a sensational first-half hat-trick. The impressive win ensured Les Bleus finished top of Group I with a perfect record, sending a strong message to their rivals ahead of the Round of 32.
Dembélé wasted little time making his mark, opening the scoring in the seventh minute before adding two more goals in the 20th and 32nd minutes. His rapid treble became one of the fastest in FIFA World Cup history and made him only the third French player, after Just Fontaine and Kylian Mbappé, to score a World Cup hat-trick. The Ballon d’Or winner’s clinical finishing left Norway struggling to cope with France’s relentless attacking play.
Norway briefly threatened a comeback when Thelo Aasgaard found the net midway through the first half. The Scandinavian side also had a chance to reduce the deficit further, but striker Jørgen Strand Larsen saw his penalty brilliantly saved by French goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Substitute Désiré Doué sealed the result with a late goal in stoppage time, completing an emphatic French performance.
With qualification already secured before the match, Norway rested several key players, including Erling Haaland and captain Martin Ødegaard, as coach Ståle Solbakken rotated his squad ahead of the knockout rounds. Despite the heavy defeat, Norway progressed as Group I runners-up and will now face Ivory Coast in the Round of 32. France, meanwhile, will take on Sweden after finishing the group stage with three wins from three matches.
France’s victory also carried emotional significance. Head coach Didier Deschamps was absent after travelling home following the death of his mother, with long-time assistant Guy Stéphan taking charge from the sidelines. The players dedicated the performance to their coach, producing one of their finest displays of the tournament so far.
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