Ousmane Dembele delivered one of the earliest hat-tricks in World Cup history on Friday, spearheading France to a commanding 4-1 victory over a second-string Norway squad at Gillette Stadium near Boston. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland remained on the bench, watching the action unfold.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward quickly asserted his dominance by opening the scoring in the seventh minute, before doubling his tally in the 20th minute. Although Thelo Aasgaard briefly narrowed the deficit for Norway, Dembele restored France’s three-goal lead with a third strike in the 32nd minute.
Only one player in World Cup history has completed a hat-trick earlier in a match — Erich Probst, who scored three goals within the first 24 minutes for Austria against Czechoslovakia in 1954.
France’s Dominance Secures Group I Victory
Dembele’s hat-trick brought his tournament total to four goals, following his earlier contribution in France’s 3-0 win over Iraq on Monday. His performance may alleviate some of the scoring expectations traditionally placed on captain Kylian Mbappe.
Desire Doue added a late goal to seal the convincing win, which ensured France finished the group stage with a perfect nine points. The team has scored 10 goals across three matches, topping Group I with a strong offensive display.
France will remain in the northeastern United States as they prepare for their round of 32 clash against a third-place finisher at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey next Tuesday.
This match was played under poignant circumstances for Les Bleus, who competed without head coach Didier Deschamps. Deschamps had returned to France to attend his mother’s funeral, leaving the squad to carry on in his absence.