Dembele hat-trick fires France past Norway, Senegal keep World Cup hopes alive

Ousmane Dembele struck a first-half hat-trick as France stormed past Norway 4-1 on Friday to secure top spot in World Cup Group I, while Senegal boosted their chances of reaching the last 32 with a dominant win over Iraq.

The reigning Ballon d’Or winner from Paris Saint-Germain produced a stunning attacking display, scoring in the 7th, 20th and 32nd minutes as France maintained their perfect start to the tournament.

Much of the pre-match attention at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, near Boston, had centered on a battle between France forward Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland. However, the expected showdown failed to materialize after Norway left Manchester City striker Haaland on the bench.

Instead, Dembele stole the spotlight from his France teammate, underlining the depth of Les Bleus’ attacking strength.

Norway, who needed a victory to overtake France at the top of the group, briefly threatened a comeback when Thelo Aasgaard pulled one back after 21 minutes.

But Dembele restored France’s two-goal advantage with his third strike, and despite Jorgen Strand Larsen missing a penalty in the 50th minute, the 2022 World Cup runners-up remained firmly in control.

Dembele’s PSG teammate Desire Doue added France’s fourth goal in stoppage time to complete a convincing victory.

Reflecting on his hat-trick, Dembele played down the achievement and shifted focus toward the knockout stage.

“It’s a unique and important moment for me, but I preferred my performances against Senegal or Iraq,” Dembele said.

“I think I was much more influential in those games. We need to stay focused because there are important challenges ahead.”

The match was played under difficult circumstances for France, with head coach Didier Deschamps absent after leaving his role earlier in the week following the death of his mother.

Before kick-off, both teams also observed a moment of silence in tribute to the victims of the devastating Venezuela earthquake.