Dembélé Hat-Trick Powers France to 4-1 Victory Over Norway

Ousmane Dembélé’s sensational first-half hat-trick propelled France to a dominant 4-1 victory over Norway at Gillette Stadium on Thursday, securing the top spot in World Cup Group I.

With both nations already qualified for the knockout stage, Norway opted to rest several key starters, including superstar striker Erling Haaland. France capitalized immediately on the tactical shift, breaking the deadlock in the 7th minute when Dembélé converted a precise pass from Kylian Mbappé.

Dembélé doubled the lead in the 20th minute, though Norway responded instantly through Thilo Aasgard’s low finish just 60 seconds later. Undeterred, Dembélé completed his stunning hat-trick in the 32nd minute, tearing through the Norwegian defense to make it 3-1 before halftime.

Norway missed a golden opportunity to mount a comeback in the 50th minute when Jørgen Strand Larsen’s penalty kick was brilliantly saved by French goalkeeper Mike Maignan. France maintained control with 57% possession and capped off the clinical performance in stoppage time when substitute Désiré Doué struck to seal the 4-1 win. France enters the Round of 32 with a perfect group-stage record.