Dembele hat-trick powers France past Norway 4-1 at 2026 World Cup

Ousmane Dembele scored one of the earliest hat-tricks in World Cup history as the Ballon d'Or winner starred in France's 4-1 victory over a reserve-strength Norway side, while Erling Haaland watched from the bench.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward opened the scoring in the seventh minute at Boston Stadium on Friday, added his second in the 20th minute and, after Thelo Aasgaard pulled one back, made it 3-1 in the 32nd minute.

The only player to score a hat-trick earlier in a World Cup match was Erich Probst, who netted three times in the opening 24 minutes for Austria against Czechoslovakia in 1954.

Dembele now has four goals in the tournament after also scoring in Monday's 3-0 win over Iraq, and this display may ease the pressure on captain Kylian Mbappe to always be France's hero.

Desire Doue sealed the scoreline late on, and the win gave France a perfect nine points from the group stage – they scored 10 goals in three matches and advanced to the knockout rounds as Group I winners.

France will stay in the northeastern United States to face a third-placed team at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey next Tuesday.

It was an emotional day for Les Bleus as they played without coach Didier Deschamps, who returned to France for his mother's funeral. Deschamps, who will step down after the World Cup following 14 years in charge, is expected to rejoin the squad on Saturday.

Norway, who also saw Jorgen Strand Larsen miss a penalty, advanced as runners-up with six points, having already secured a knockout berth before the match thanks to wins over Iraq and Senegal.

That explained why coach Stale Solbakken made 10 changes to his starting lineup after the 3-2 win over Senegal in the previous match.

Haaland, Odegaard rested

Haaland, captain Martin Odegaard and striker Alexander Sorloth were among those given a rest, with only Benfica's Fredrik Aursnes retaining his place.

The key players are sure to return for the next round, and Norway will face Ivory Coast in Dallas next Tuesday.

France were without Arsenal defender William Saliba due to a back injury, replaced by Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix. Doue, Theo Hernandez and Aurelien Tchouameni all returned.

However, Dembele and Mbappe kept their places, with the latter making his 101st appearance for the national team as he sought to increase his World Cup tally to 16, closing in on Lionel Messi's record of 18.

But it was Dembele, Mbappe's teammate in France's 2018 World Cup-winning squad, who stole the spotlight with his superb hat-trick.

Mbappe assisted the early opener as Dembele cut in from the right, feinted and shifted the ball onto his right foot before curling a shot past goalkeeper Egil Selvik.

Dembele has transformed into a Ballon d'Or winner since Luis Enrique, his coach at PSG, moved him from the wing to a central role.

But he caused havoc here starting from the right, scoring his second by cutting inside and bending a left-footed strike into the far corner.

Rangers' Aasgaard pulled one back immediately after the restart with a low shot past goalkeeper Mike Maignan as the French defense switched off.

But Dembele made it 3-1, again with his left foot and into the same far corner, this time from inside the box.

Three goals inside the opening 25 minutes was not the fastest World Cup hat-trick – that record belongs to Hungary's Laszlo Kiss, who needed less than eight minutes against El Salvador in 1982.

However, Dembele now joins an elite group: previous French hat-tricks in the tournament came only from Just Fontaine (twice in 1958) and Mbappe, who scored three in the 2022 final.

Norway almost pulled one back early in the second half when Oscar Bobb was fouled by Hernandez in the box, but Strand Larsen's penalty was weak and Maignan saved.

Doue headed home to make it 4-1 in stoppage time.

Senegal thrash 10-man Iraq 5-0 to boost qualification hopes

Substitute Pape Gueye scored two superb long-range strikes in the second half as Senegal beat 10-man Iraq 5-0 to improve their goal difference in Group I's final round on Friday.

Ismaila Sarr netted his third of the tournament, the first of four goals after the break for the Teranga Lions, who sit third in the group and are competing for one of eight spots for third-placed teams in the round of 32.

They now have a +2 goal difference, provisionally fifth among third-placed teams, but four teams below them have yet to play their final matches.

Habib Diarra opened the scoring in the fourth minute when it was still 11 v 11, and Iliman Ndiaye finished the match with a long-range strike in the 82nd minute.

Iraq were eliminated from their second World Cup and first since 1986.