Boston: Dembele’s hat-trick leads France to victory over Norway in World Cup group stage

By Bilal Ahmed

By Bilal Ahmed — 27 June 2026 — 3 min read

Ousmane Dembele achieved one of the earliest hat-tricks in World Cup history, contributing to France’s 4-1 win against a second-string Norway team. The match took place at the Gillette Stadium near Boston. Dembele’s performance helped France secure the maximum nine points in the group stage, scoring 10 goals across three games and advancing as Group ‘I’ winners.

Dembele, a Paris Saint-Germain forward, opened the scoring in the seventh minute. He found the net again on 20 minutes, and after Thelo Aasgaard scored for Norway, Dembele completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute. This marks his fourth goal in the tournament, having also scored in France’s 3-0 victory over Iraq.

The only player to complete a hat-trick earlier in a World Cup match was Erich Probst, who scored three goals within the first 24 minutes for Austria against Czechoslovakia in 1954. Dembele’s hat-trick places him in notable company, as previous French hat-tricks in the tournament were scored by Just Fontaine and Kylian Mbappe.

France’s Group Stage Dominance and Upcoming Fixture

France’s victory ensured they finished the group stage with a perfect record. Desire Doue added a fourth goal late in the match, sealing the 4-1 win. France will remain in the northeastern USA for their last-32 tie, scheduled for next Tuesday at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. They are set to face a third-place finisher, with Sweden being a likely opponent.

The team played this match without coach Didier Deschamps, who returned to France for his mother’s funeral. Deschamps, who is expected to step down at the end of the World Cup after 14 years, is due to rejoin the squad on Saturday. William Saliba, an Arsenal defender, was rested due to a sore back, with Maxence Lacroix of Crystal Palace stepping in. Doue, Theo Hernandez, and Aurelien Tchouameni all returned to the lineup.

Despite the changes, Dembele and Mbappe maintained their places. Mbappe earned his 101st cap and is looking to increase his 16 World Cup goals to match Lionel Messi’s overall tournament record of 18. However, Dembele, a teammate of Mbappe’s from the 2018 World Cup-winning French team, was the focus of the match with his hat-trick.

Dembele’s first goal came after Mbappe released him, allowing Dembele to cut in from the right and fire past goalkeeper Egil Selvik. His second goal saw him cut infield and curl a low shot with his left foot into the far corner. After Aasgaard scored for Norway, Dembele completed his hat-trick with another curled shot into the same bottom corner, this time from inside the area.

Norway’s Strategy and Next Steps

Norway, who had already secured their progress to the next round with wins over Iraq and Senegal, made 10 changes to their starting lineup. Coach Stale Solbakken rested key players such as Erling Haaland, captain Martin Odegaard, and striker Alexander Sorloth. Benfica’s Fredrik Aursnes was the only player retained from their previous match.

This decision meant that Haaland and Odegaard were unused substitutes. Solbakken explained that the wholesale changes were made to charge up the batteries for the upcoming knockout game, acknowledging that fans might have wanted to see Haaland and Odegaard play. Norway finished second in Group I with six points.

Norway had an opportunity to reduce France’s lead in the second half when Oscar Bobb was tripped in the area by Hernandez, resulting in a penalty. However, Jorgen Strand Larsen’s spot-kick was saved by goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Norway will now face Ivory Coast in Dallas next Tuesday.

Dembele’s three goals in 25 first-half minutes were a highlight, though not the fastest World Cup hat-trick on record, a distinction held by Hungary’s Laszlo Kiss in 1982. The match concluded with France’s dominant 4-1 win over Norway.

Source: dawn.com