The 2026 FIFA World Cup’s Group I stage delivered a blockbuster clash on matchday three, as an in-form France side faced an undefeated Norway at Boston Stadium. Both teams entered the game chasing top spot in the group, with the prize of a more favorable knockout round draw on the line. When the final whistle blew, France secured a dominant 4-1 victory to lock in their position as Group I winners, courtesy of a historic early hattrick from winger Ousmane Dembélé.
France got off to a blistering start that set the tone for the entire first half. Just 25 seconds into the match, Kylian Mbappé fired a powerful effort that crashed off the crossbar, forcing Norwegian goalkeeper Egil Selvik into an outstanding reflex save. Mbappé terrorized Norway’s backline from the opening whistle, dropping deep and stretching the defense to create space for his attacking teammates. That pressure paid off in the 7th minute, when Mbappé played a perfectly weighted through ball to Dembélé, who slotted a controlled, fierce finish past Selvik to open the scoring.
The French attacking floodgates did not take long to open further. Thirteen minutes after Dembélé’s opener, he doubled France’s lead with a spectacular strike, with the referee waving play on despite a light challenge on a Norwegian defender in the build-up. Norway refused to cave in quickly, however, and hit back in the 22nd minute: Thelo Aasgaard produced a clever individual run, and his shot deflected off a French defender to wrongfoot Maignan, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
But Les Bleus’ attacking momentum was unstoppable. Only 10 minutes after Norway’s equalizer, Dembélé completed his hattrick with an elegant curled finish into the far corner, beating Selvik all ends up. With this treble, scored in just 32 minutes of game time, Dembélé notched the third hattrick of the 2026 World Cup, joining an elite group of players to achieve the feat at this tournament: Lionel Messi scored a hattrick in Argentina’s opening match against Algeria, while Jonathan David hit three for Canada in their 6-0 rout of Qatar. Dembélé’s 32-minute hattrick is also the second-fastest in World Cup history, trailing only Erich Probst’s 24-minute treble scored at the 1954 tournament.
The first half was an end-to-end spectacle of attacking football. Norway created several good chances of their own but failed to convert their opportunities, and France’s crisp combination play could easily have seen them run up a far larger margin by halftime. Selvik pulled off a string of impressive saves to keep Norway in the contest, as Dembélé and Mbappé continued to carve open the Norwegian defense. The two sides went into the break with France holding a 3-1 lead, having produced a display of fast, creative, energetic football that outclassed their opponents, even as Norway demonstrated clear resilience.
The second half delivered a defining moment just moments after kickoff, when Norway was awarded a penalty after Theo Hernandez fouled Oscar Aasgaard Bobb inside the 18-yard box. It was a golden chance for Norway to pull back to 3-2 and reignite their challenge for the group lead, but French goalkeeper Mike Maignan dived sharply to his right to save Jørgen Strand Larsen’s weak effort. The missed penalty proved a turning point that effectively ended Norway’s hopes of a comeback.
Norway continued to push for an opening and earned another good chance from a corner, but Maignan was on hand again to make a fine save and keep his sheet clean for the remainder of the game. At the other end, Mbappé almost added a goal of his own, firing a superb long-range effort just wide of the post after cutting inside on his right foot. After an hour of dominating play, Mbappé – who already had two assists to his name – was substituted off to rest, alongside Jules Koundé, with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Malo Gusto coming on in their places. France subsequently dropped their tempo, content to manage the game and see out the win.
Even with a slower, less energetic second-half performance, France’s quality never came into question. With the win, France completed a clean sweep of three group stage victories – a feat they had not achieved since winning the 1998 World Cup on home soil, sending a clear warning to every other title contender in the tournament.
In stoppage time, France added a fourth goal to cap off the dominant win. Paris Saint-Germain substitute forward Desire Doue nodded a pinpoint cross from Bradley Barcola into the back of the net, setting the final score at 4-1.
Norway, who rested star striker Erling Haaland ahead of the knockout stage, put up a valiant fight but were ultimately outmatched by France’s attacking firepower. While France progresses as Group I winners, Norway also advanced to the knockout round, where they will face Côte d’Ivoire in the first knockout match.
So far at the 2026 World Cup, France has cemented its status as the team to beat: quick, technically gifted, and with an attacking line that has outclassed every opponent they have faced. The big question remaining now is whether Didier Deschamps’ side can maintain this blistering form through the knockout stage, where the toughest tests of the tournament still await.