With Ousmane Dembele doing… things and miracles, scoring a hat-trick and “reminding” why he won the 2025 “Ballon d’Or”, France offered a unique “performance” against Norway with an extensive rotation (10 out of 11 changes, Haaland on the bench), as they defeated them with an emphatic 4-1 and took first place in Group 9 of the 2026 World Cup. 

The second-placed Norwegians will now face Ivory Coast in the “32”, while the French are still waiting to find out their opponent.

In the 3rd and final matchday of the group stage, the “tricolors” – who played with Didier Deschamps’ assistant, Guy Stéphane, on the bench due to the federal coach’s absence in France for his mother’s funeral – completely dominated.

After Mbappe’s crossbar in the 21st second, there followed the… show of Dembele who scored in the 7th, 20th and 32nd minutes with three amazing executions, before being substituted in the 65th minute. In between, Asgaard reduced the score to 2-1 in the 21st minute, in the 50th minute Menyan saved a penalty by Strand Larsen, while the final… touch to the match was put by Desiree Due in the 90th + 4th minute, making the final score 4-1.

Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
Yellow cards: 10′ Patrick Berg – 74′ Tshwameni

The lineups of the two teams:
NORWAY (Stale Solbakken): Selvik, Ostigaard, Bjorkan (46′ Pedersen), Falkener (66′ Langas), Berg, Aursnes, Torstvedt (46′ Torsby), Asgard, Seldrup (83′ Noosa), Bob (83′ Hauge), Larsen.
FRANCE (Guy Stephane/assistant to Deschamps): Meignan, Koudet (87′ Gusteau), Upamecano (76′ Konate), Lacroix, Hernandez, Kone, Tshwameni, Dembele (65′ Barcola), Oliseh (65′ Cherki), Douet, Mbappe (87′ Mateta).