Dembele’s Hat Trick Takes Down Norway and Wins Group I

By Daniel Feuerstein | Foxborough, MA | June 26th, 2026

The final group stage match in Group I had the top two teams already qualified for the knockout stage in France and Norway battling it out for the top spot. While France played their starters, Norway went with a rotated squad and sat Erling Haaland. It was a one-man wrecking crew as Ousmane Dembele took down the Norwegian Vikings all by himself with a hat trick and inserted himself into the Golden Boot race as the French took the full three points, with the final score at four goals to one.

Dembele gets a Hat Trick and now has four goals, tying Mbappe

All of France’s goals were scored in the first half as Ousmane Dembele was the man taking down Norway and doing it in style. Mostly scoring from the right side of the pitch and having fun. After scoring a goal in their second group stage match against Iraq, the three goals today have given him four and have tied him with his teammate Kylian Mbappe with four goals, one behind Lionel Messi of Argentina at this time before tomorrow’s final day of the group stage.

The first goal saw Mbappe at midfield with the ball, trying to attack down the near side, but he decided to cross it to the far side and found Dembele wide open. As Dembele entered the area, he had three Norwegian defenders on him and made several cuts to put himself into a better position to shoot the ball. When he found his spot at the top of the area, he used his right foot to blast the ball inside the net in the 7th minute.

His second goal was scored with Mbappe playing provider again. Another fabulous pass from the middle of the park, and back to the right side, toward Dembele. The ball went right into his path, making a fabulous run with a defender just a few yards in front of him. When he got close to the area, Dembele made the cut to his left and, all of a sudden, with his left foot, smashed it inside the back post, making quick work of the goal-scoring department in the 20th minute.

His hat-trick was a thing of beauty. Once again from the right side of the pitch, the ball was played by France as they were passing it around, setting up a play. Aurélien Tchouaméni received the ball and found Dembele inside the far corner of the area, while surrounded by two Norwegian defenders. But with quick thinking and a quick trigger, Dembele smashed his third goal into the back of the net off his right foot again in the 32nd minute, and France was on their way to take the top spot in the group.

Doué adds a fourth inside second half stoppage time

France wanted one more goal to put the exclamation point on this match against Norway. They have been abusing the Vikings throughout the far side of the pitch, and they did it again as Bradley Barcola had possession of the ball. He made a lovely cross toward the back post, and making the run was Desire Doué, leaping in the air and heading the ball inside that back post in the fourth minute of five in second half stopapge time and taking the plaudits. France was determined to get the win and will head to the Knockout stage in comfort.

Norway takes advantage of a sleeping France

After the second goal by France in the 20th minute, the Norwegians wanted to make a dent on the scoreboard and did so as they caught the French napping on the restart. Right away in the 21st minute, Norway quickly took the ball and went down the far side of the pitch. As the ball was passed down toward Andreas Schjelderup, he crossed the ball to the middle and saw Thelo Aasgaard making a run. When Aasgaard received the ball, he took a big shot that scored inside the far post and cut the deficit to one in the 21st minute. It looked like that was the lifeline Norway needed, but at the end of the match it was just for show.

Didier Deschamps attended his Mother’s Funeral

As it was reported, France Head Coach Didier Deschamps left his National Team to attend the funeral for his mother back home. She passed away on June 23rd; his assistant coach Guy Stephane took over for Deschamps during the final group stage match. When he will return for the knockout stage, we don’t know, but for now he will spend time at home if or when he returns to North America to finish this World Cup tournament. The F.F.F. asked FIFA to have a moment to honor Deschamps’ mother before the match, but it was denied.

Other Group I match

Senegal earned a five-goal clean-sheet victory over Iraq that might put them into one of the best eight third-place finishers while at the same time officially knocking out Scotland and sending them to ninth place. But we will see what the other group matches today and tomorrow will bring if it can resurrect the Tartan Army back to the top eight. But without a doubt, this group was very exciting to watch, and we will see what these three sides will do when they get to the Knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

France takes down Norway with a hat-trick from Ousmane Dembele to win the group in the 2026 FIFA World Cup

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