Key Takeaways:
- France clinched top position in Group I with a commanding 4-1 win over Norway last night
- Ousmane Dembele netted a superb hat-trick, steering the 2018 World Cup winners to victory
- Norway, after heavy squad rotation, will face Ivory Coast next in the last 32 despite the defeat
Early Drama Sets the Tone
France took control of Group I at the FIFA World Cup with an emphatic 4-1 result against a heavily rotated Norway side, who suffered only their second defeat in 19 international fixtures. Pre-match speculation mounted after Norway overhauled their starting line-up with 10 changes, a move that almost backfired dramatically. Within just 22 seconds, Kylian Mbappe surged down the right and struck the crossbar, narrowly missing out on what would have been the third-fastest goal in World Cup history.
🇫🇷 A stellar performance in Boston to top Group I 💫#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 26, 2026
Les Bleus were relentless from the outset, with Manu Kone testing Norwegian goalkeeper Egil Selvik within the first five minutes. However, French persistence paid off soon after when Ousmane Dembele powered a right-footed strike past the stranded Selvik from inside the box, breaking the deadlock decisively.
Dembele’s Lethal Finishing Punishes Norway
Norway nearly responded immediately, but Jorgen Strand Larsen squandered a promising opportunity by volleying over from six yards. This missed chance proved costly, as France swiftly countered and Dembele doubled the advantage, curling a sublime effort into the far corner to further assert French dominance.
Yet, Norway answered back within seconds. From the restart, Thelo Aasgaard produced a clever shimmy at the edge of the area, creating space to rifled home a finish from 18 yards, halving the deficit and injecting fresh tension into the contest.
The frenetic first half culminated in Dembele completing his hat-trick, the Frenchman shifting the ball to his stronger left foot inside the box and curling home his third, restoring France’s two-goal cushion before half-time.
Missed Penalty and Late Flourish
After the interval, France looked set to cruise, but Theo Hernandez provided Norway with a lifeline by bringing down Oscar Bobb in the area inside the opening five minutes of the second period. Strand Larsen stepped up for the penalty, only to be denied by Mike Maignan, who became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty at this edition of the World Cup.
Oscar Bobb, instrumental in winning the penalty, later found himself through on goal courtesy of Aasgaard, but his effort was comfortably dealt with by Maignan. Norway’s approach suggested a clear focus on progression to the knockouts, particularly with Ivy Coast awaiting them in the round of 32, as many key players remained on the bench for this fixture.
France wrapped up their group stage campaign in style, as Desire Doue capped off proceedings in stoppage time with a header to make it 4-1. Didier Deschamps’ side celebrated completing the group stage with three wins out of three for the first time since their victorious 1998 campaign, setting high expectations for the knockout rounds.
