World Cup 2026 news: Ousmane Dembele steals the spotlight as France punish much-changed Norway
Ousmane Dembele delivered one of the standout individual performances of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as his first-half hat-trick inspired France to a commanding 4-1 victory over a heavily rotated Norway side on Friday.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward found the net three times inside 32 minutes before Désiré Doué added a stoppage-time fourth, ensuring Les Bleus completed a perfect Group I campaign and advanced to the Round of 32 as group winners.
While many anticipated a showdown between Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, Norway manager Stale Solbakken opted to rest several of his biggest names, allowing Dembele to dominate the headlines instead.
France’s shining light
Dembele opened the scoring after just seven minutes before doubling France's advantage in the 20th minute.
Thelo Aasgaard briefly gave Norway hope by pulling a goal back a minute later, but Dembele completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute to restore France's control before Doué rounded off the scoring deep into stoppage time.
Norway also squandered an opportunity to reduce the deficit after Jørgen Strand Larsen saw his second-half penalty saved.
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Norway sacrifice Group I for knockout preparation
One of the biggest talking points before kick-off centred around Norway's team selection.
Having already secured qualification for the Round of 32, Solbakken made 10 changes from the side that defeated Senegal, with both Haaland and captain Martin Ødegaard remaining unused substitutes throughout the contest.
The decision came after Haaland himself suggested earlier in the week that France were likely to win the encounter, with Norway instead choosing to prioritise freshness ahead of the knockout stages.
Speaking after the match, Solbakken defended the wholesale changes.
“Now it's about charging up the batteries,” he said, quoted on Sky Sports.
“The only argument for not doing what we did is that the fans around Norway and here could have seen Erling and Martin.
“But then it wouldn't be a long World Cup, and that's what we're here for – we're here to go as far as possible.”
While the approach effectively conceded the battle for top spot, Norway still progressed from Group I and will now face Ivory Coast in the Round of 32.
Dembele continues France's impressive World Cup
If there were any doubts about France's credentials before Friday, Dembele quickly removed them.
His hat-trick was only the third by a French player in World Cup history and came in just 32 minutes, underlining the attacking quality Les Bleus possess alongside Mbappé.
France have now finished the group stage with maximum points and enter the knockout rounds carrying significant momentum.
They will face Sweden in the Round of 32.
Although Norway's rotation policy may divide opinion, the strategy achieved its primary objective of preserving key players for the knockout stages.
On this occasion, however, it also handed one of the tournament favourites an opportunity to produce another statement performance - and Dembele ensured France took it in emphatic fashion.
