France defeated Norway 4-1 in their final group stage match, with Ousmane Dembélé scoring a hat trick in the first half. This victory allowed France to clinch the top position in Group I, having won all three of their group stage games. The team will now advance to the round of 32.
Dembélé, a Paris Saint-Germain forward, opened the scoring for France in the seventh minute at Boston Stadium. He added his second goal in the 20th minute. After Thelo Aasgaard scored for Norway, Dembélé completed his hat trick in the 32nd minute, making the score 3-1. This performance brings his tournament goal tally to four, following a previous goal in France’s 3-0 win against Iraq.
Desire Doue sealed the 4-1 victory with a late goal. France finished the group stage with a maximum of nine points, having scored 10 goals across their three matches. They are one of two teams to win all group stage games so far.
Group stage performance and upcoming match
France’s path to the top of Group I included a 3-1 win against Senegal and a 3-0 victory over Iraq before their match against Norway. The team will remain in the northeastern United States for their last-32 tie, which is scheduled to take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey next Tuesday. Their opponent will be a third-place finisher from another group.
Norway also advanced from Group I, securing second place with six points. Their progression was confirmed prior to the match against France due to earlier wins against Iraq and Senegal. Norway’s coach, Stale Solbakken, made 10 changes to the starting lineup for the France match, resting several key players including Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, and Alexander Sorloth. Benfica’s Fredrik Aursnes was the only player retained from their previous game. Norway is set to play Ivory Coast in Dallas next Tuesday.
France played the match without coach Didier Deschamps, who had returned to France for his mother’s funeral. Assistant coach Guy Stephan oversaw the team. Deschamps is expected to rejoin the squad on Saturday. William Saliba, an Arsenal defender, was also absent due to a sore back, with Maxence Lacroix of Crystal Palace taking his place. Theo Hernandez, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Doue all returned to the lineup.
Dembélé’s hat trick places him in notable company. The only player to complete a hat trick earlier in a World Cup match was Erich Probst in 1954. French hat tricks at the tournament have also been scored by Just Fontaine and Kylian Mbappe. Dembélé expressed the importance of winning the match to secure the top spot in the group, emphasizing the team’s focus on upcoming challenges.
Senegal’s bid for knockout stage
In another Group I match, Senegal defeated 10-man Iraq 5-0. Substitute Pape Gueye scored two goals from long range, and Ismaila Sarr added his third goal of the tournament. Habib Diarra opened the scoring, and Iliman Ndiaye concluded the scoring with a long-range effort. This victory helped Senegal secure a third-place finish in the group.
Senegal is now vying for one of the eight third-place spots in the round of 32. They currently hold the fifth-best record among third-place teams based on their goal differential. However, four teams below them have yet to play their final group matches. Iraq was eliminated from the tournament.
| TEAM | POINTS | RECORD |
| France | 9 | 3-0-0 |
| Norway | 6 | 2-0-1 |
| Senegal | 3 | 1-0-2 |
| Iraq | 0 | 0-0-3 |
France’s round of 32 match is scheduled for Tuesday, July 30.
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Source: aljazeera.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.