France produced a dominant display with Ousmane Dembele scoring a first-half hat-trick to beat Norway 4-1 in Boston and secure the top spot in Group I at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Norway and France had already booked their places in Round of 32 with wins in their previous two group stage matches, turning this encounter into a group champion decider match.

However, Norway head coach Stale Solbakken prioritised keeping his first XI fresh for the knockout stage over finishing top of the group, as he benched players from their previous match’s first XI, including star players Erlingg Haaland and Martin Odegaard.

Against a depleted Norway side, France started at a breathtaking pace and almost opened the scoring immediately when Kylian Mbappe struck the crossbar within the first minute.

The pressure soon paid off as Dembele gave France the lead in the seventh minute. Mbappe found him on the right, and the forward cut inside before firing past the goalkeeper.

Norway struggled to deal with France’s attacking movement, with Mbappe, Dembele, Desire Doue and Michael Olise constantly creating problems for the defence.

Dembele doubled France’s advantage in the 20th minute with another brilliant finish, bending the ball into the bottom corner with his left foot from outside the box.

Norway responded immediately as Thelo Aasgaard pulled one back a minute later, giving his side hope after France’s fast start.

However, Dembele completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute, becoming the third player to score a hat-trick at the tournament. His strike gave France a 3-1 lead.

The Ballon d’Or winner’s third goal came after he controlled the ball inside the box, fooled the defenders and curled a precise effort into the net.

France controlled the remainder of the first half and went into the break with a comfortable two-goal advantage. Dembele’s 32-minute hat-trick was the second fastest in World Cup history.

Norway began the second half with more aggression and immediately earned a penalty after Oscar Bobb was brought down by Theo Hernandez.

But Jorgen Strand Larsen’s spot-kick was weak, and France goalkeeper Mike Maignan comfortably saved it to deny Norway a second goal.

France continued to threaten, with Mbappe coming close after curling an effort just wide of the target as he searched for a goal.

Norway enjoyed a stronger spell after the interval, but France remained composed and managed the match effectively.

Both teams made several substitutions as France looked to preserve energy, with Dembele and Olise among those replaced after their impressive performances.

France added a fourth goal late on through Desire Doue. Bradley Barcola created the chance from the left before Doue headed the ball into the bottom corner.

The victory confirmed France as Group I winners, while Norway advanced in second place despite the heavy defeat.

In the other Group I match, Senegal defeated Iraq 5-0 to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the next round as one of the eight best third-place teams.

Iraq, meanwhile, ended their campaign with three defeats.