Dembélé Hat-trick Powers France to 4-1 Win Over Norway

Ousmane Dembélé produced one of the fastest hat-tricks in FIFA World Cup 2026 history as France cruised to a 4-1 victory over a second-string Norway side on Friday to finish the group stage with a perfect record.Although much of the pre-match attention centered on the anticipated duel between Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, Norway coach Ståle Solbakken opted to rest the Manchester City striker, leaving him on the bench.Dembélé opened the scoring in the seventh minute at Gillette Stadium before doubling France's lead in the 20th minute. Norway responded a minute later through Thelo Aasgaard, but Dembélé completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute to put the match beyond doubt.The feat ranks among the fastest World Cup hat-tricks ever recorded. The all-time record remains with Austria's Erich Probst, who scored three goals within the opening 24 minutes against Czechoslovakia in the 1954 World Cup.Having also scored in France's 3-0 victory over Iraq in their previous match, Dembélé has now taken his tournament tally to four goals, easing some of the scoring burden on captain Kylian Mbappé.Désiré Doué added a fourth goal in stoppage time to complete a convincing victory. France finished top of Group I with nine points from three matches, scoring 10 goals in the process.Les Bleus will face one of the best third-placed teams in the Round of 32 on Thursday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.The match also carried emotional significance for France. Head coach Didier Deschamps returned to France following the death of his mother, with assistant coach Guy Stéphan taking charge from the dugout. Deschamps, who is set to leave the national team after 14 years following the World Cup, is expected to rejoin the squad on Saturday.Norway missed a chance to reduce the deficit in the 50th minute when Jørgen Strand Larsen saw his penalty saved. Despite the defeat, Norway progressed to the Round of 32 as Group I runners-up with six points after earlier victories over Iraq and Senegal.Having already secured qualification, Solbakken made 10 changes to the side that defeated Senegal 3-2. Haaland, captain Martin Ødegaard and striker Alexander Sørloth were all rested ahead of Tuesday's Round of 32 clash against Ivory Coast in Dallas.France also rotated their lineup, with Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix replacing Arsenal's William Saliba. Désiré Doué, Theo Hernandez and Aurélien Tchouaméni also returned to the starting XI.Mbappé earned his 101st international cap, but the spotlight belonged entirely to Dembélé.The Paris Saint-Germain forward opened the scoring after being played through by Mbappé, cutting inside from the right before beating goalkeeper Egil Selvik with a composed finish.Since PSG coach Luis Enrique moved him from the wing into a central attacking role, Dembélé has enjoyed the most prolific period of his career, a transformation that ultimately saw him become a Ballon d'Or winner.Operating primarily from the right flank, he tormented Norway's defence throughout the first half. His second goal came with a trademark left-footed curling effort into the far corner after drifting inside.Shortly after the first-half cooling break, Aasgaard capitalised on a lapse in France's defence to pull one back for Norway with a low finish past Mike Maignan.Dembélé, however, restored France's three-goal cushion in the 32nd minute with another precise left-footed strike into the bottom corner to complete his hat-trick.The achievement places him alongside French greats Just Fontaine, who scored two World Cup hat-tricks in 1958, and Mbappé, who netted a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final.Norway had an opportunity to narrow the gap early in the second half after Theo Hernandez fouled Oscar Bobb inside the penalty area. However, Mike Maignan produced an excellent save to deny Strand Larsen from the spot.Doué rounded off the scoring in stoppage time with a header, sealing a dominant 4-1 victory as France advanced to the knockout stage with maximum points.