Ousmane Dembélé completed a stunning first-half hat-trick as France overcame Norway 4-1 to seal top spot in World Cup Group I. The Paris Saint-Germain forward required just 32 minutes to register three goals in Boston, having ended a 20-match wait for his first tournament strike against Iraq earlier in the week.
Didier Deschamps was absent from the dugout as he mourned the death of his mother, leaving assistant Guy Stéphan to oversee the victory. Stéphan confirmed that Deschamps will rejoin the squad in the United States on Saturday to resume training duties.
Dembélé delivers “clinical” display
Dembélé opened his account with his right foot before adding two left-footed finishes, with his third goal coming after an intricate team move involving touches from every French player. Kylian Mbappé, who struck the crossbar within 20 seconds of kick-off, provided two assists for his club teammate but was unable to score himself.
Stéphan praised the Ballon d’Or winner’s “clinical” performance post-match, dismissing suggestions that Dembélé is under-appreciated within the national team setup. “Top-quality players can play together,” he stated. “When two, three, or four players ‘feel’ football in the same way, which is the case in this team, it can only be beneficial for the French national team.”
Defensive vulnerabilities exposed
Despite the comfortable margin against Norway’s second-string side, France’s defensive line showed familiar fragility. Thelo Aasgaard reduced the deficit after static defending allowed him space to finish clinically, while Théo Hernandez conceded a penalty early in the second half with a lazy challenge. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan saved the spot-kick to spare his teammate’s blushes.
The usually assured Dayot Upamecano appeared hesitant on several occasions, and Jules Koundé struggled to convince at right-back as Norway created further openings after the interval. Erling Haaland, who had predicted before the match that France would “probably win the whole tournament,” remained on the substitutes’ bench for the entire 90 minutes.
Knockout stage outlook
The victory ensures France will remain in the New York-Philadelphia-Boston corridor for the knockout phase, avoiding cross-country travel. However, Stéphan urged caution when comparing this squad to the side that reached the final three and a half years ago. “I think it’s a bit too early to say,” he reflected. “More than half of the squad had never played in a World Cup before. We’ll have to see as the competition goes on, and whether we raise our level against the very strong teams.”
France have now scored nine goals in three group matches but have kept only one clean sheet in their last eight outings. With Dembélé finding his form at a crucial juncture, Les Bleus possess the attacking firepower to trouble any opponent, though defensive solidity remains the primary concern as the tournament progresses.