France beat Norway 4-1 at Gillette Stadium near Boston on Friday as Ousmane Dembélé scored a first-half hat-trick to seal top spot in FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I.
Dembélé scored in the seventh, 20th and 32nd minutes. Théo Aasgaard replied for Norway before Désiré Doué added France’s fourth in stoppage time.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward moved to four goals in the tournament after also scoring in France’s 3-0 win over Iraq on Monday. His hat-trick came in a 25-minute first-half spell.
Only Erich Probst has completed a World Cup hat-trick earlier in a match, after scoring three goals inside 24 minutes for Austria against Czechoslovakia in 1954.
France finished the group stage with nine points from three matches. They scored 10 goals and advanced as Group I winners.
France will play a third-placed team in the last 32 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey next Tuesday.
The win came without head coach Didier Deschamps on the touchline. Deschamps returned to France to attend his mother’s funeral and is due back with the squad on Saturday.
Norway had already secured qualification before kickoff after wins over Iraq and Senegal. Coach Stale Solbakken made 10 changes from the side that beat Senegal 3-2.
Erling Haaland, captain Martin Ødegaard and Alexander Sørloth were among the players rested. Fredrik Aursnes was the only starter retained.
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Kylian Mbappé won his 101st France cap and created the opening goal. He released Dembélé, who cut inside from the right and finished across goalkeeper Egil Selvik.
Dembélé added his second with a low left-footed shot into the far corner. Aasgaard then pulled one back straight after the restart.
France restored control when Dembélé curled in his third from inside the area. Norway later missed a chance to reduce the deficit when Mike Maignan saved Jørgen Strand Larsen’s penalty.
Norway finished second in Group I with six points and will face the Ivory Coast in Dallas next Tuesday.
