Dembele steals the Mbappe vs Haaland show as France breeze past Norway
The posters sold this as Kylian Mbappe versus Erling Haaland. By the final whistle, Ousmane Dembele stole every headline in sight.
Norway’s biggest stars never really entered the story, with Haaland and Martin Odegaard left on the bench for what was arguably their defining game of the World Cup. France, meanwhile, went full strength despite already booking their place in the knockouts, and Dembele made sure that decision looked inspired with a blistering first-half hat-trick in a commanding 4-1 victory.
Norway vs France, FIFA World Cup 2026: HIGHLIGHTS
There was an irony to it all. Norway actually produced enough football after the break to suggest this need not have been such a one-sided contest. They created chances, won a penalty, repeatedly tested Mike Maignan and spent long spells pushing France backwards. But by then, the damage had already been done by a French side that punished every opening with ruthless efficiency.
It also leaves Norway facing some uncomfortable questions. When your World Cup campaign hangs in the balance, is that really the night to leave Haaland and Odegaard on the bench? Unless there were fitness concerns behind the scenes, it felt like a gamble that never truly gave Norway the belief they needed against one of the tournament favourites.
France, on the other hand, sent exactly the opposite message. Already qualified, Didier Deschamps still trusted Mbappe, Dembele and the rest of his biggest names to build momentum ahead of the knockouts. It paid off handsomely as Les Bleus completed a perfect group-stage campaign with three wins from three.
DEMBELE TAKES CENTRE STAGE
France barely allowed Norway to settle before taking complete control.
Mbappe’s movement stretched the Norwegian defence from the opening minutes, while Michael Olise constantly found pockets of space between the lines. But the night belonged to Dembele, whose confidence has been growing with every passing match of this tournament.
His opener rewarded France’s bright start before another trademark finish doubled the lead. The third was arguably the pick of the lot, another clinical left-footed strike that completed a stunning hat-trick inside just 32 minutes.
It was only the third hat-trick of this World Cup after Lionel Messi and Jonathan David, while Dembele also became the second-fastest player to score a World Cup hat-trick after Austria’s Erich Probst in 1954.
Norway eventually responded after the restart. Thelo Aasgaard pulled one back to inject some life into the contest before Jorgen Strand Larsen was handed the perfect opportunity to make it 3-2 from the penalty spot. Instead, his hesitant effort was comfortably read and saved by Mike Maignan, a moment that effectively ended any hopes of an unlikely comeback.
France then reminded everyone of their frightening squad depth. Bradley Barcola combined beautifully with fellow Paris Saint-Germain teammate Desire Doue, whose late header restored the three-goal cushion and wrapped up another emphatic French performance.
NORWAY’S BIG GAMBLE
The final score should not disguise Norway’s second-half display.
Oscar Bobb caused problems every time he drove forward, Leo Ostigard went close from a corner and France spent much of the second period managing the game rather than chasing more goals. There were moments when Norway looked capable of making things uncomfortable.
Yet those moments only made the team selection harder to understand.
This was arguably Norway’s biggest match of the tournament. Facing one of the competition favourites, confidence and star quality mattered as much as tactics. Instead, Haaland and Odegaard remained spectators for almost the entire evening while France’s biggest names were trusted from the first whistle despite qualification already being secured.
It was a tale of two very different approaches. France chose momentum. Norway chose caution. By full-time, only one of those decisions looked justified.
France now head into the Round of 32 as Group I winners with maximum points and the look of a side gathering momentum at precisely the right time. They will face one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams and, with Dembele in this kind of form, will take some stopping.
Elsewhere in the group, Senegal did everything within their control by thrashing Iraq 5-0. The convincing victory keeps the Lions of Teranga firmly in contention for one of the eight best third-placed qualification spots, although they must now wait for results elsewhere to discover whether their World Cup journey continues.
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