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Norway 1-4 France | Group I, Match 61 | June 26, 2026 | Boston Stadium, Boston, Massachusetts
France delivered a statement performance to close out the group stage in style. France beat much-changed Norway 4-1 in Boston, winning Group I after three wins from three.
The night belonged almost entirely to Ousmane Dembélé, who produced a scintillating first-half hat-trick to put the match beyond Norway before halftime. France head into the knockout rounds as one of the most dangerous sides in the tournament.
Norway’s Big Call: Haaland Benched
The biggest talking point before kickoff was Norway’s team selection. The much-anticipated Erling Haaland vs Kylian Mbappé battle did not materialize, with Haaland left on the bench by Norway coach Stale Solbakken. Norway made multiple changes to their starting eleven, with Solbakken clearly prioritizing squad rotation given their group stage position was already secure. That decision, however, left Norway’s attack significantly weakened against the tournament’s most in-form side.
France, on the other hand, named a near full-strength lineup. Pretty much full strength for France with Kylian Mbappé leading the line and Dembélé, Olise, and Doué starting underneath him in attack. Les Bleus were going all-out to secure top spot in Group I and get an easier path through the knockout rounds.
An Early Warning From Mbappé
France threatened from almost the very first second. France almost grabbed a goal inside the opening 25 seconds as Norway gave the ball away and Kylian Mbappé sprinted down the right channel, but his strike hit the woodwork. It was a warning Norway failed to heed, and the opening goal arrived within minutes.
GOAL 1 – Ousmane Dembélé, 7′: France Strike First
Dembélé’s goals came in the seventh, 20th, and 32nd minutes. His first arrived after a quick passing move that split Norway’s defense open on the left side. The PSG winger composed himself inside the box and finished calmly to put France ahead. It was a goal that reflected France’s early dominance and their ability to punish any defensive lapse immediately.
GOAL 2 – Ousmane Dembélé, 20′: Dembélé Doubles Up
France doubled their lead just 13 minutes later. The French oozed class in attack from start to finish, as Kylian Mbappé set up two of Ousmane Dembélé’s three first-half goals with the reigning Ballon d’Or champion showing his class with a speedy hat-trick. Dembélé’s second was another composed finish inside the area, with Mbappé’s vision and pace the driving force behind the move.
GOAL 3 (Norway) – Thelo Aasgaard, 21′: Norway Hit Back Immediately
Dembélé had put France 2-0 up within 20 minutes before Thelo Aasgaard grabbed a goal back for Norway. Norway grabbed a goal right after the second goal went in. France went to sleep at the back and Aasgaard moved into the French penalty area before sending the ball into the net as Norway fans celebrated in the stands.
The goal injected real energy into Boston Stadium, and for a brief moment, Norway fans dared to dream of a comeback. The spirit in the Norway camp was clear even without Haaland, and they pushed hard to find a second equalizer.
GOAL 4 — Ousmane Dembélé, 32′: The Hat-Trick Is Complete
Dembélé became the second man at the 2026 World Cup to bag a hat-trick after Lionel Messi. He found himself in the heart of the penalty area, shifted the ball onto his left foot, and beautifully curled a finish into the far corner.
The record books were also rewritten with that third goal. It was the first first-half hat-trick at the World Cup since Russia forward Oleg Salenko scored three of his five goals in the opening 45 minutes against Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Dembélé achieved the second-fastest hat-trick in World Cup history, netting three goals in just 32 minutes.
Norway Miss a Penalty After Halftime
Norway came out with renewed purpose in the second half, and they won an early penalty that could have changed the game completely. Strand Larsen completely fluffed his lines, and Maignan made the simple stop. Norway earned a penalty soon after the break, but Jorgen Strand Larsen’s tame effort was easily saved by Mike Maignan.
It was a massive missed opportunity. Had Strand Larsen converted, Norway would have been back within one goal and the final 40 minutes would have been a very different contest. Instead, France held firm and Norway’s momentum faded.
Dembélé Departs to a Standing Ovation
Dembélé, who has now scored four goals at this year’s World Cup, left the game in the 65th minute, replaced by a fresh option from France’s deep bench. He walked off to a tremendous reception from the crowd, having produced one of the most complete individual attacking performances of the tournament so far.
GOAL 5 – Désiré Doué, 90’+4′: France Add the Gloss
Doué added the finishing touch right at the end as France, who actually had a lower xG of 1.31 to 1.69 because of that missed penalty, won all three group games for just the second time in their history. It was nice work from Barcola on the left flank, who checked back before clipping a lovely ball for his PSG teammate to cushion his header into the top-right corner.
The goal confirmed a comfortable and thoroughly deserved victory for Les Bleus.
Match Stats Tell the Story
France won all three group games for just the second time in their history. Despite dominating the match in terms of goals and quality, France actually registered a lower xG of 1.31 compared to Norway’s 1.69, largely because of Norway’s missed penalty and the chances they created after Haaland came on as a substitute.
Once Haaland did arrive from the bench in the second half, Norway looked more threatening. However, the game was already well beyond their reach by that point.
Norway Fans Enjoy the Moment Regardless
Even in defeat, the Norwegian supporters showed tremendous spirit throughout. A Norway fan from Oslo reflected after the match, saying it has been a lot of fun and that it has been over 25 years since Norway was in the World Cup, making it a huge thing for them. Their group stage journey, including a famous win over Iraq and a competitive showing against one of the world’s best teams, will be remembered fondly regardless of what comes next.
What Comes Next for Both Teams
The result means France will face a third-place qualifier in New Jersey, while Norway will meet Ivory Coast in Dallas.
For France, the knockout rounds now represent a genuine opportunity to add another star to their jersey. Les Bleus oozed class in attack from start to finish, and France could have scored many more on the night. With Mbappé, Dembélé, and Doué all in form, they look as dangerous as any team left in the tournament.
