Dembele’s hat-trick secures top spot for France against Norway

By Sanjay Menon — 27 June 2026 — 3 min read

Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat-trick, leading France to a 4-1 victory over Norway on Friday, June 26, 2026. This win ensured France finished at the top of World Cup Group I. Both teams had already qualified for the next round of the tournament prior to this match.

Dembele‘s three goals came within a 25-minute span during the first half, propelling the 2018 world champions and 2022 runners-up into the Round of 32. The France players were motivated to secure their third win in as many games as a tribute to coach Didier Deschamps, who had returned home from the U.S. for his mother’s funeral.

Assistant coach Guy Stephan, who has worked with Deschamps since their time at Olympique de Marseille, stated the team’s desire to perform well for Didier. Deschamps is expected to rejoin the squad on Saturday, June 27, 2026, to prepare for the next phase of the competition.

Norway’s strategic player rotation

Norway coach Stale Solbakken made a strategic decision to rest nearly all of his usual starters against France. This included key players such as Erling Haaland and captain Martin Odegaard, who had started in their previous match against Senegal earlier in the week. Solbakken described the decision as a “no-brainer” given their prior qualification.

Solbakken acknowledged that resting players like Haaland and Odegaard might have disappointed fans in Norway and at the venue. However, he emphasized that the primary goal was to ensure a long run in the World Cup, stating, “We’re here to go as far as possible.”

By securing first place in the group, France is likely to face Sweden in the first knockout round. Norway, finishing second, is set to play against Ivory Coast. France‘s desire to top the group was also influenced by the prospect of a lighter travel schedule, which is a benefit in the tournament’s North American route map.

Dembele’s historic performance

The match, initially anticipated as a showdown between Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, saw Dembele take center stage. His performance against Norway is considered a defining moment in his international career, highlighting years of perseverance.

Dembele‘s first goal arrived after just seven minutes. He received the ball on the right wing, bypassed Fredrik Bjorkan, and struck a shot past Norwegian goalkeeper Egil Selvik. Mbappe assisted Dembele for his second goal in the 20th minute, with the Paris St Germain forward creating space for a dipping shot.

Norway managed to score a goal through Thelo Aasgaard shortly after Dembele‘s second. However, Dembele completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute, curling a low shot into the bottom corner. This made him only the third France player to score a World Cup treble, following Just Fontaine in the 1950s and Mbappe.

His hat-trick was the second-earliest ever scored in a World Cup, behind Erich Probst‘s three goals for Austria in 1954 against Czechoslovakia, which occurred after 24 minutes. Dembele‘s achievement also marked the sixth first-half hat-trick in men’s World Cup history and the first since Oleg Salenko‘s performance for Russia in 1994.

Jorgen Strand Larsen had an opportunity to bring Norway back into the game in the second half, but his penalty was saved by Mike Maignan. Oscar Bobb also forced a save from Maignan. Desire Doue scored France‘s fourth goal with a header from a cross by substitute Bradley Barcola in the closing moments of the match.

The combined expected goals value for Dembele‘s three goals was 0.19, making it the second-lowest xG total for any World Cup hat-trick recorded between 1966 and 2026. Only Hungary‘s Laszlo Kiss had a lower xG total for his treble in 1982.

Dembele‘s performance demonstrated his growing authority, making France an even more formidable team as they head into the knockout rounds of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Source: thehindu.com