France secured the top position in Group I after a 4-1 victory over Norway, highlighted by a hat-trick from Ousmane Dembélé. The match, played in Boston, saw France dominate a Norwegian side that had rested several key players, including Erling Haaland.
Dembélé’s precise hat-trick was completed within 25 minutes of the first half, contributing significantly to France’s win. This result means France will proceed to their last-32 tie in New Jersey next Tuesday. Norway, despite the loss, will play Côte d’Ivoire in Texas on the same day, having already qualified for the round of 32.
Match Overview and Player Rotations
The game began with an immediate impact from France, as Kylian Mbappé nearly scored within 20 seconds, hitting the crossbar after a pass from Dembélé. Manu Koné also had an early shot saved by Norway’s goalkeeper, Egil Selvik. Dembélé opened the scoring after six minutes, cutting inside and finding the far corner of the net.
His second goal arrived 20 minutes into the match, following a similar play initiated by Mbappé. However, Norway quickly responded, with Thelo Aasgaard scoring after receiving a pass from Andreas Schjelderup, levelling the score temporarily. Dembélé then restored France’s two-goal lead with his third goal, again finding the same corner of the net.
Norway’s coach, Ståle Solbakken, made extensive changes to his starting lineup, resting ten regular starters, including Haaland. Fredrik Aursnes was the only player who had started Norway’s previous game against Senegal to be in the starting eleven against France. Selvik was in goal instead of Orjan Nyland, among other changes.
Haaland is currently tied with Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior and France’s Mbappé for the second-most goals in the tournament, with four each, trailing Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
Coaching Changes and Tournament Implications
France’s regular lineup started the match, but the team was without head coach Didier Deschamps, whose mother recently passed away. Assistant coach Guy Stéphan took charge for the game. Deschamps is currently in France with his family and has previously announced his intention to step down as France coach after the tournament, 14 years after taking the job. He led France to a World Cup victory as a player in 1998 and as a coach in 2018, with his team reaching the final four years ago.
Stéphan expressed his thoughts for Deschamps and his family, stating his commitment to maintaining normalcy and proving worthy of Deschamps’ trust. The decision by Solbakken to rotate players for Norway was influenced by the team’s qualification for the round of 32, despite trailing France on goal difference in Group I.
In the second half, Norway had an opportunity to narrow the deficit when Oscar Bobb earned a penalty. However, Jørgen Strand Larsen‘s kick was saved by France’s goalkeeper, Mike Maignan. France sealed their dominant performance with a fourth goal from Désiré Doué, who headed in a cross from Bradley Barcola.
France has now scored ten goals in the tournament, demonstrating a strong offensive presence. The winner of Group I will play in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Tuesday, while the second-place team will face Côte d’Ivoire in Arlington, Texas, on the same day.
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Source: theguardian.com
Ethan Brule is a Senior Hockey Writer at CasinoNews. He covered the NHL for a national Canadian outlet. He focuses on the NHL, the Maple Leafs and Team Canada and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Sports Media from Toronto Metropolitan University. Now based in Toronto, he plays beer-league hockey and follows the junior ranks. “Hockey in Canada is never only about the score.”
