Ousmane Dembélé put on a masterclass performance, netting a spectacular first-half hat-trick to propel France to a commanding 4-1 victory over Norway at the Boston Stadium last night. With this dominant win, Les Bleus maintained their perfect record in the FIFA World Cup 2026, securing the top spot in Group I and cruising into the knockout stages with three consecutive victories.
The match was effectively decided in the opening 45 minutes, thanks to a lethal partnership between Dembélé and French captain Kylian Mbappé. The breakthrough came early in the 7th minute when Dembélé opened the scoring, capitalizing on Mbappé's brilliant vision to lead France ahead. Just thirteen minutes later, the duo struck again in the 20th minute, with Mbappé turning architect once more to provide the assist for Dembélé’s second goal of the night.
Norway briefly threatened a comeback in the 21st minute when Thelo Aasgaard found the back of the net, swiftly narrowing the score to 2-1. However, any hopes of a Norwegian fightback were quickly crushed by a relentless French attack. In the 32nd minute, Dembélé completed his memorable hat-trick, restoring France's comfortable two-goal cushion and sending his side into the dugout with a 3-1 lead at the break.
France continued to control the tempo in the second half, keeping a chasing Norway at arm's length. Les Bleus then put the final exclamation mark on their victory deep into stoppage time when Désiré Doué struck in injury time to seal the 4-1 demolition. With Group I safely conquered, France looks every bit the tournament favorite as they march confidently into the next round.
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