Dembele treble sends France top of Group I

France rounded off the group stage with a polished 4-1 victory over Norway at Gillette Stadium, an Ousmane Dembele hat-trick securing top spot in Group I. Already through, Les Bleus rotated but still proved far too sharp for a Norway side that needed a win and was punished for its ambition. Dembele's movement and finishing made it his night, a display that adds to the growing sense of France as serious knockout contenders.

How it unfolded: Dembele's hat-trick and a Doue gloss

France dominated throughout, with Dembele completing his treble on 7, 20 and 32 minutes through sharp finishing and intelligent movement. Desire Doue added a fourth with a stoppage-time header from a cross, while Michael Olise impressed as a provider, and Thelo Aasgaard grabbed a consolation for Norway on 21 minutes. With Didier Deschamps away from the touchline and his assistant in charge, France were thoroughly professional, controlling the game from start to finish.

Context: depth, fluency and a forward in form

This was a statement of strength in depth. Even with wholesale changes, France attacked with fluency and managed midfield with ease, while Norway's gamble on an open game left gaps that Les Bleus exploited without mercy. Dembele's hat-trick was the centrepiece, but the broader performance — control, pace and ruthlessness — was just as telling ahead of the knockouts. Crucially, France produced it without leaning on their biggest names, a sign of the resources available as the tournament intensifies. Norway, meanwhile, still progressed despite the chastening defeat, but the manner of it offered a sobering measure of the gap to the very best as they head into the last 32.

The table: France first, Norway through second

France finished top of Group I on nine points (GD plus eight), with Norway second on six despite the loss, Senegal third and Iraq eliminated at the bottom. Both France and Norway advance to the Round of 32. Our forecast of over 2.5 goals landed comfortably in a five-goal contest, as France's attacking quality produced exactly the open, high-scoring game the numbers pointed to.