Norway 1-4 France: 5 talking points as Les Bleus secure perfect Group I record | 2026 FIFA World Cup
France concluded their group stage campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 4-1 thrashing of Norway in their Group I meeting in Boston.
Your login session has expired. Please logout and login again.
×
- Football
- 2026 FIFA World Cup
- Newsletters
- Schedule
- EURO
- Copa America
- EPL
- Champions League
- Nations League
- La Liga
- Ligue 1
- MLS
- Bundesliga
- Serie A
More
-
Norway 1-4 France: 5 talking points as Les Bleus secure perfect Group I record | 2026 FIFA World Cup
Norway 1-4 France: 5 talking points as Les Bleus secure perfect Group I record | 2026 FIFA World Cup
Modified Jun 26, 2026 23:00 GMT
0 Discuss
0 Discuss
0 Discuss
What's your opinion?
Norway 1-4 France: 5 talking points as Les Bleus secure perfect Group I record | 2026 FIFA World Cup
Discuss Now
Norway v France: Group I - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Source: Getty
France concluded their group stage campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 4-1 thrashing of Norway in their Group I meeting in Boston. Les Bleus showed their quality as they made light work of a rotated Norwegian side to secure top spot in the group.
Ad
Following wins over Iraq and Senegal, both France and Norway were set for a classic to determine the winners of Group I. This was not the case, however, as Norwegian coach Stale Solbakken decided to rest ten of his 11 starters from the win over Senegal.
Thanks for the submission!
With coach Didier Deschamps absent, Les Blues did not mind taking on a weakened side and quickly put them to the sword in ruthless fashion. Ousmane Dembele netted thrice and Desire Doue added a fourth for the 2018 champions to show off their attacking prowess once more.
Ad
Trending
Here are five talking points from the game:
1. Scared Norway?
While many were excited for the showdown between Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe at the FIFA World Cup, Norway boss Stale Solbakken was planning a massive rotation. The coach decided to change his entire XI bar Fredrik Aursnes, bringing in an almost brand-new team to take on France.
With the likes of Martin Odegaard, Haaland, and several others absent, it was evident that the team stood no chance against the French. The coach reached the decision after the realization that his side had already qualified and had no need to battle the French with their best. His decision has, however, attracted questions of whether he chickened out of the contest beforehand.
Ad
2. Ousmane Dembele with three of the best
Paris Saint-Germain and France star Ousmane Dembele endured a slow start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup but is now up and running in the competition. The 29-year-old scored a hat-trick for Les Bleus to send them on their way to a convincing victory in Boston.
Dembele opened his account with a fine strike past an unsighted goalkeeper before curling one into the bottom corner from outside the box. His third goal was also curled into the bottom corner from inside the box, ensuring that his hat-trick is the best one so far in the competition.
Ad
3. Mbappe the creator for France
France captain Kylian Mbappe took up the role of a creator in the win over Norway and played his role to perfection. The Real Madrid man notched a pair of assists for Dembele in the first half of a brilliant performance.
Mbappe's first assist showed his brilliant vision, as he found his teammate unmarked on the far side of the pitch to score. His second one showed off his tenacity as he played through a clear foul to set up the Ballon d'Or holder.
Ad
4. Strand Larsen fails FIFA World Cup audition
Crystal Palace striker Jorgen Strand Larsen was given the opportunity to lead the line for Norway with Erling Haaland rested. The 26-year-old had not played a single FIFA World Cup minute at this tournament due to Haaland's form, and finally got his chance.
Strand Larsen produced a disappointing showing as he missed two big chances, including a penalty, and attempted only two shots. The former Wolves man played for 90 minutes and won six of 15 duels throughout the game.
Ad
5. Dembele with FIFA World Cup history
Ousmane Dembele scored the second-fastest hat-trick in FIFA World Cup history in the game against Norway. He scored all three goals in the opening 32 minutes to put his side in complete control.
Only Austria's Erich Probst has ever scored a quicker hat-trick than Dembele in a FIFA World Cup game, and he did so in 1954 against Czechoslovakia, needing 24 minutes. Dembele has now scored four goals in his last two games for Les Bleus in the tournament.
×
Feedback
Why did you not like this content?
- Clickbait / Misleading
- Factually Incorrect
- Hateful or Abusive
- Baseless Opinion
- Too Many Ads
- Other
CancelSubmit
Was this article helpful?
Thank You for feedback
Quick Links
More from Sportskeeda
Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen
Ad
More from Sportskeeda
Start Page 0
End Page 0
Fetching more content...
Comment in moderation
·
00
Reply
× Edit Delete
Delete the comment?
No thanks
Delete
Cancel
Update
CancelReply
Post as Guest
*No login required
CancelPost
What's your opinion?
Post as Guest
*No login required
CancelPost
Your perspective matters!
Start the conversation
1
✕
✕
No Results Found
WWE NBA NFL MMA Tennis NHL Golf MLB Soccer F1 WNBA
More
\
\
NCAAF 
\
\
NCAAB 
\
\
NASCAR
Popular
Important Links
Manage notifications