Dembele steals the show Mbappe vs Haaland as France sail past Norway
Posters were selling it as Kylian Mbappe versus Erling Haaland. At the final whistle, Ousmane Dembele stole all the headlines 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 World Cup match. France, meanwhile, went full force despite having already booked a place in the knockout stages, and Dembele made sure that decision looked inspired with a superb first-half hat-trick in a great 4:1 victory.
Norway vs France FIFA World Cup 2026: HIGHLIGHTS
There was an irony in it all. Norway showed enough football after the break to suggest it might not have been such a one-sided game. They created chances, won a penalty, repeatedly tested Mike Maignan and pushed France back for long spells. But that was already the damage caused by the French side, who punished every opening with ruthless efficiency.
Norway is also grappling with uncomfortable questions. With your World Cup campaign hanging in the balance, is this really the night to bench Haaland and Odegaard? Unless there were fitness concerns behind the scenes, it felt like a gamble that never really gave Norway the confidence they needed against one of the tournament favourites.
France, on the other hand, sent exactly the opposite message. Having already qualified, Didier Deschamps still trusted Mbappe, Dembele and his other big names to build momentum ahead of the knockouts. It paid off handsomely as Les Bleus completed a perfect campaign in the group stage with three wins from three.
DEMBELE INTRODUCES CENTRAL LEVER
France had barely allowed Norway to settle before taking complete control.
Mbappe’s movement stretched the Norwegian defense from the opening minutes, while Michael Olise kept finding gaps between the lines. But the night belonged to Dembele, whose confidence has grown with each passing game of this tournament.
His opener rewarded France’s fine start before another trademark finish doubled the lead. The third was arguably the best option, another clinical left-footed strike to complete a stunning hat-trick in just 32 minutes. Dembele with a hat-trick, Mbappe with two assists and France continue to dominate. (Photo: Reuters)
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 hat-trick at the World Cup after Austrian Erich Probst in 1954.
Norway eventually responded after the restart. Thelo Aasgaard pulled one back to inject some life into the game before Jorgen Strand Larsen was presented with 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 terrifying squad depth. Bradley Barcola combined beautifully with Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Desire Doue, whose late header restored the three-goal cushion to wrap up another emphatic French performance.
NORWEGIAN GRAND GAMBLE
The final score should not overshadow the Norwegian national team in the second half.
Oscar Bobb caused problems every time he drove forward, Leo Ostigard went close from a corner and France spent much of the second period controlling play rather than chasing further goals. There were times when Norway looked like they could make things uncomfortable.
However, these moments only made the team selection more difficult to understand. Haaland and Odegaard played in the France match. (Photo: Reuters)
This was probably Norway’s biggest game of the tournament. Facing one of the competition’s 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 already having secured qualification.
It was a tale of two very different approaches. France chose impulse. Norway chose caution. At full-time, only one of these decisions seemed justified.
France now head into the Round of 32 as Group I winners with maximum points and with this being a well-timed sideline. They will be up against one of the best third-placed teams in the tournament and with Dembele in this form, they will be a little off.
Elsewhere in the group, Senegal did everything in their power to beat Iraq 5-0. The convincing win keeps the Lions of Teranga firmly in contention for one of the top eight qualifying spots in third place, although they must now await results elsewhere to see if their World Cup journey continues.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
27 Jun 2026 04:05 IST