'I am the Ballon d'Or!' Dembélé explodes with a hat-trick in the first half... France crushes Norway 4-1 without Haaland, securing three straight wins and advancing to the Round of 32

*This content was translated by AI.

France, a 'championship contender,' dominated Norway behind a hat-trick performance by Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain).

On the morning of the 27th (Korean time), France defeated Norway 4-1 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup North America group stage I match at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA.

With three consecutive wins (9 points) in the group stage, France secured first place in the group and advanced to the Round of 32 knockout tournament. Norway, which left ace Erling Haaland out of the starting lineup, finished the group stage in second place with two wins and one loss (6 points).

The first half was Dembélé's perfect 'showtime.' In the 7th minute, Dembélé received a long pass from Kylian Mbappé, broke past a defender inside the penalty box, and scored the opening goal with a right-footed shot. Then, in the 20th minute, during a counterattack, he penetrated the right side of the penalty box and completed his brace with a left-footed shot that struck the corner of the net.

Norway did not give up easily. Just one minute after conceding, Telø Osugo equalized with a right-footed shot from directly in front of the box.

However, France's momentum did not waver. In the 32nd minute, Dembélé received a pass from Aurélien Tchouaméni, tricked a defender inside the box to create space, and completed his hat-trick with a left-footed shot. This marks the second-fastest hat-trick in World Cup history.

In the early second half, Norway missed a golden opportunity to close the gap. In the 4th minute of the second half, Oscar Bobb drew a foul inside the penalty box and earned a penalty kick. However, the shot taken by Jørgen Strand Larsen, who stepped up as the kicker, was saved by goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Having survived the crisis, France saw Desire Doué head in the team's fourth goal in stoppage time of the second half, sealing the match with a 4-1 victory.

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*This content was translated by AI.