France routed Norway 4-1 at Boston Stadium during their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I clash. Ousmane Dembélé completely dismantled the Norwegian defense, delivering a historic first-half hat-trick that secured the victory and cemented his place in French football history.
The buildup to this fixture was entirely dominated by the Mbappé vs. Haaland media narrative. Fans expected a shootout between the two global superstars. Dembélé stepped out of the shadows and proved France possesses an attacking depth that goes far beyond Mbappé.
Dembélé struck early and never let up. He found the back of the net in the 7th, 20th, and 32nd minutes, scoring with both feet. According to a detailed NDTV Profit report, this 32-minute treble officially stands as the fastest World Cup hat-trick by a French player in 72 years. He joins highly exclusive company as only the third French footballer to register a World Cup hat-trick, standing alongside Just Fontaine and Kylian Mbappé.
Norway struggled to mount a consistent response. Thelo Aasgaard briefly interrupted the onslaught with a 21st-minute goal, but Dembélé answered almost immediately to kill their momentum. Désiré Doué formalized the blowout with a final strike in the 90th minute to cap the score at 4-1.