Desire Doue’s late strike after a brilliant hat-trick by Ousmane Dembele sees Les Blues romp to dominant win over Norway. The two-time world champion will face Sweden for a spot in the round of 16.

France attacks through set-play, with Bradley Barcola sending in a cross to the centre and Doue getting a head to it. He find the bottom-right corner to make it 4-1.

The match has tapered into a rather lacklustre last quarter, with Dembele and Mbappe leaving the field, while Haaland remained on the bench throughout the game.

Norway starts with fresh energy after the second hydration break. Oscar Bobb gets a pass in the box and tries a shot on goal. Maignan makes a crucial block and Lacroix clears the ball out of danger.

France brings Dembele off, who leaves with a rousing applause from fans in the stadium. Three goals today – one that keeps France firmly ahead in the final group-stage match. 

Desire Doue tries to beat Ostigard along the left with a rainbow flick. However, he is surrounded by another Norwegian defender as he loses the ball.

Selvik looked to have picked up an injury, but Norway’s medical team rushed to him for assistance and the Norwegian goalkeeper is back on his feet and hoofs the ball long from the goal kick.

Desire Doue minuses to Mbappe at the edge of the box. The Real Madrid strike goes for right-footed hit, but the shot goes off-target, flying over the net.

Norway employs an overload in the final third. Bobb triggers the attack, Schjelderup sets up Strand Larsen, but France eventually clears the ball out of danger.

Strand Larsen steps up to take the penalty and aims for the bottom-right corner. Maignan guesses right and makes a save!

Norway enjoys early possession in the second half. It has, however, chosen not to bring on Haaland. Meanwhile, Bobb gets the ball in the box, twists and turns and Hernandez brings him down. Michael Oliver points to the spot! Penalty to Norway.

Both teams get back to the field after the break. Norway makes two changes as it looks to stop an in-form France and try and pull off a comeback.

A hat-trick by Ousmane Dembele keeps France firmly ahead against Norway at the break. The combination of Dembele and Mbappe has looked very dangerous throughout the first half, one that Les Blues will look to use the most in the knockouts.

France has continued raining attacks one after another, with Olise, Dembele and Mbappe on the prowl against a second-string Norway side. But the fourth goal has somehow not arrived.

Ousmane Dembele shifts to his left with the ball stuck to his feet in the Norway box, and then takes a shot that curls past Selvik to complete a hat-trick. He becomes the third Frenchman to score thrice in a World Cup match after Just Fontaine and Kylian Mbappe.

Schjelderup carries the ball into the French box again. he tries to set up Strand Larsen. This time, France’s centre-backs rush back to put the attack to bed, with Maignan finally taking control of the ball.

The match resumes after the hydration break as Norway hopes to pull off a combeack. It has already scored once, can it score again? We will find out soon.

France is caught cold seconds after the second goal as Schjelderup sets up Aasgaard in the box. He takes a grounded shot as Maignan is caught cold as he goes to the wrong side.

Norway 1-2 France.

Mbappe tries to drag the ball into Norway’s final third, he is dragged down. Mbappe doesn’t stop and feeds the ball to Dembele on the right as the referee gives an advantage. Dembele drifts to his left and takes a shot from outside the box to find the bottom-left corner.

France attacks against the run of play quickly, with Desire Doue getting the ball along the left flank. He cuts to his right and then takes a shot, forcing a regulation save by Selvik. 

Dembele gets the ball along the right flank. As he tries to make a run into the box, the referee stops play as the forward was slightly off the line.

Action on the other end! France’s defence is left in some sort of slumber as Strand Larsen gets the ball in the box and takes a shot, which goes over the net.

Michael Olise runs into the box with the ball this time and takes a shot. Ostigard makes a crucial block at the last moment to deny a second to France.

France looks on song at the moment. Olise wins the ball in the midfield, crosses to Mbappe on the right, but the Real Madrid striker’s angles is too narrow to cause any trouble for Les Blues.

Mbappe sends in a gorgeous through pass across the park to Demble on the right. The PSG forward cuts in to his left and then shoots between two Norwegian defenders and past Selvik to open the scoring for Les Blues.

Dembele plots an attack along the right. He beats his marker and sends the ball in for Olise. Though Norway initially clears it, the ball reaches Kone, who takes a shot on the volley after receiving it. The shot is on target but Selvik makes a good save!

Norway has made 10 changes in its squad for it has already qualified for the knockouts. The decision clearly looks a tactical one, leaving fans waiting for the eye-watering clash between Mbappe and Haaland. 

France gets the ball rolling and Kylian Mbappe gets the ball into the final third and takes the shot. The ball comes off the post. It has not even been a minute!

Both teams gather around the centre-circle to observe a minute’s silence for the victims of the earthquakes in Venezuela. A devastating eathquake shook Venezuela on June 24. The calamity has let to thousands getting displaced, while the death toll has risen to 920.

Players of Norway and France walk out of the tunnel, with fans in red and blue – of Norway as well as France – take their phones out to take photos. Some applaud as the teams take their positions for the national anthems.

Norway’s presence at the 2026 World Cup breaks a massive 28-year tournament drought. The last time the Norwegian men qualified for a World Cup was back in 1998—a tournament famously hosted (and won) by France.

Norway vs France is being played at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. To meet strict FIFA regulations, the stadium had to temporarily replace its traditional synthetic turf with a fully natural grass surface specially grown and maintained just for these World Cup matches.

“Didier (Deschamps) wants to finish top, as the whole group does, because it would be completely different logistically,” Stephan said.

“The travel times to different cities would be a lot longer if we finish second. And there’s the issue of the temperatures, too. First place is best.”

“It is an important game (against France), but the most important is the round of 32,” Solbakken told a press conference.

“Knowing the prerequisites… we don’t know how many games we will get. It is 100 per cent certain that we will need to be rested for the round of 32, mentally and physically. It could be that we have to play 30 minutes of extra time or penalties.”

“There is an argument that these players are used to playing every three days, but here (there) is so much pressure. It is like a pressure cooker,” he added.

“We ⁠are very happy with six points. We can learn a lot from France because they have been in this situation. They are going to game three and will rest some players. We should not become too greedy. We have to be more smart ⁠than greedy.”

“He ⁠is not focused on being the top scorer. He is focused on the team, and he is a team player who is happy when a teammate scores,” Solbakken said. “He has the killer instinct and wants to score, but his greater strength is that he puts the team first.”

Two of Norway’s attacking spearheads have been benched for this contest – Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard. A very clear indication from the Norwegian head coach that the side is already preparing for its round of 32 contest.

Maignan; Upamecano, Kounde, Hernandez, Lacroix; Kone, Tchouameni; Dembele, Mbappe, Olise, Doue

Selvik; Ostigard, Bjorkan, Falchener; Berg, Aursnes, Thorstvedt, Aasgaard, Schjelderup, Bobb; Larsen

France has already qualified for the round of 32. But the question that will haunt France is whether it should go for a point after all against Norway.

To top the group, Les Blues will need only a point – a result that will keep them in the Northeastern United States until the quarterfinals rather than take a long road through Dallas, Miami and Atlanta.

Though they will avoid clashes with the likes of Brazil, England and Portugal early on, their potential opponents, as group toppers, could include Germany in the round of 16 and European champion Spain in the semifinals.

Though France and Norway have both qualified for the round of 32, they are both expected to put their best foot forward with the top spot up for grabs.

NOR vs FRA predicted XI:

Norway (4-3-3): Nyland — Pedersen, Ajer, Heggem, Moller Wolfe — Aursnes, Berge, Odegaard — Nusa, Haaland, Sorloth.

France (4-2-3-1): Maignan — Koundé, Saliba, Upamecano, Digne — Koné, Rabiot — Dembélé, Olise, Barcola — Mbappé

The best is perhaps always saved for the last. The final matchday of Group I features Norway and France locking horns for top spot in their group, a fixture that headlines Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland facing each other.

Both teams have already qualified for the round of 32 with consecutive wins, and the match will have plenty of subplots – La Liga veterans going up against Premier League overlords, World Cup heavyweights, Les Blues, taking on giant-killer Norway and a duel between two of the most exciting professionals of the sport in modern times.