France Dominate Norway 4-1 as Dembélé Scores Historic Hat-Trick
Ousmane Dembélé scored a stunning hat-trick in just 26 minutes to lead France to a 4-1 victory over Norway in a Group I World Cup qualifier on Friday. His rapid treble is now the second-fastest in World Cup history, trailing only Erich Probst's 24-minute hat-trick for Austria in 1954.
Dembélé's hat-trick in 26 minutes is the second-fastest in World Cup history.
Match Breakdown
Dembélé opened the scoring with a right-footed shot early in the game, setting the tone for a dominant French performance. He added his second goal less than 14 minutes later, leaving the Norwegian defense in disarray.
His third goal arrived in the 32nd minute, completing a breathtaking individual display before halftime.
Norway pulled one back before the break, with Thelo Aasgaard scoring to make it 3-1. However, any hopes of a comeback were extinguished when France's Désiré Doué scored in stoppage time to seal the 4-1 final score.
Golden Boot Race Heats Up
Player Goals Lionel Messi 5 Ousmane Dembélé 4 Kylian Mbappé 4 Vinícius Júnior 4 Erling Haaland 4Lionel Messi currently leads the Golden Boot race with 5 goals, while Dembélé joins a four-way tie for second place alongside Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Erling Haaland.
Notable Absence
Haaland did not start for Norway, as the team made 10 changes to their lineup. Both France and Norway had already secured qualification for the knockout rounds, allowing managers to rotate their squads.