Ousmane Dembélé didn’t just beat Norway on Thursday night. He dismantled them before most fans had even settled into their seats. Three goals in 25 first-half minutes, each one cut from the same cloth — receive on the right, drift inside, bury it with his left foot. The Norwegian defense knew exactly what was coming and still couldn’t stop it.
France won 4-1 in Boston to finish Group I with a perfect nine points. Dembélé’s hat-trick was the first by a French player at a World Cup since Kylian Mbappé’s triple in the 2022 final against Argentina. And fittingly, Mbappé set up the first two goals before Aurélien Tchouaméni delivered the assist for the third. Désiré Doué added a fourth in stoppage time for good measure.
But it almost got interesting. Norway’s Thelo Aasgaard scored in the 21st minute to make it 2-1, and when they won a penalty early in the second half after Oscar Bobb drew a foul in the box, it felt like a real game again. Jørgen Strand Larsen stepped up to take it with France up 3-1 and the crowd buzzing. His shot was weak. Centered. Mike Maignan read it easily and dove to his left to smother the ball. That was basically the end of Norway’s hope.
Dembélé had them on skates from the start
The winger’s first goal came in the 7th minute. Mbappé slipped a pass into his path on the right, Dembélé took one touch to settle, another to cut inside, and then curled a left-footed shot past Egil Selvik at the near post. Simple. Unstoppable.
Thirteen minutes later, same story. Mbappé again found him in space on the right. Dembélé cut in again. Shot again. Top corner this time. Norway’s defenders were stuck watching, almost like they were hypnotized by the repetition.
The third came in the 32nd minute. Tchouaméni played him in, Dembélé took a touch, shifted the ball onto his left, and placed it into the far corner. Selvik didn’t move. He just watched it go in like he’d seen the same movie three times and was tired of the ending.
Dembélé left the pitch in the 65th minute with his job done. France has attacking depth for days heading into the knockout stage, and he just gave them a serious statement performance.
Maignan saved the game when it mattered
France was cruising until Norway won that penalty. Strand Larsen earned it after a nice run from Bobb forced a clumsy challenge in the box. If he scores there, it’s 3-2 with more than 40 minutes left. Different ballgame. But Strand Larsen’s penalty was as timid as they come — no pace, no placement, just a polite little shot to the keeper’s left. Maignan ate it up.
The AC Milan goalkeeper wasn’t done. He denied Bobb twice in open play later in the half, once when the winger cut inside and again after a French turnover in a dangerous spot. His quick reads off his line also snuffed out a potential break that would have left Mbappé chasing a through ball.
Strand Larsen had a rough night all around. He also missed a clear chance in the 14th minute, controlling well in front of Dayot Upamecano but then skying a right-footed shot from close range. He was deputizing for an injured Erling Haaland, and Norway needed him to be the guy. He just wasn’t.
France moves on top of Group I. Norway heads home wondering what might have been if their penalty had gone in. But honestly, Dembélé made sure that question never really needed answering.
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